TOUCH AND FORCE SENSING FOR INPUT DEVICES

• US 20090309616A1
• Filed: 06/13/2008
• Published: 12/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: KLINGHULT, Gunnar, KLEVERMAN, Mats
• Granted Patent: US 8,421,483 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/686
• 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 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• 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 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A device may include a first layer, a second layer, a third layer, a capacitive sensing component coupled to the first layer, and a force sensing component coupled to the first layer and the third layer and configured to detect the amount of force applied to the second layer. A method may include monitoring capacitance and voltage at one or more input sensors configured to detect changes in capacitance and to detect changes in applied force, detecting a change in capacitance, activating a capacitance response in response to detecting a change in capacitance, detecting a change in voltage, and activating a force response in response to detecting a change in voltage.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a first layer;

a second layer;

a third layer;

a capacitive sensing component coupled to the first layer; and

a force sensing component coupled to the first layer and the third layer and configured to detect the amount of force applied to the second layer.

2. The device of claim 1, where the second layer comprises a piezoelectric, optically transparent material.

3. The device of claim 2, where the second layer comprises one of polyvinylidene fluoride, poly(vinylidene-trifluoroethylene), poly(vinylidene-tetrafluoroethylene), or two or more of polyvinylidene fluoride, poly(vinylidene-trifluoroethylene), and poly(vinylidene-tetrafluoroethylene).

4. The device of claim 1, where the first and third layer comprise a conductive, optically transparent material.

5. The device of claim 4, where the first and third layers comprise one of indium tin oxide, aluminum-doped zinc oxide, carbon nanotubes, Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), or Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate).

6. The device of claim 1, where the force sensing component is configured to execute a plurality of actions, where each of the plurality of actions is executed in response to a different amount of force detected.

7. The device of claim 6, where each of the plurality of actions corresponds to a different degree of the same action.

8. The device of claim 1, where the force sensing component is configured to control an intensity of an action or the number of objects to include in the action.

9. An input device comprising an array of devices according to claim 1.

10. A mobile terminal comprising an input device according to claim 9.

11. The input device of claim 9, where the input device is a button, a touch screen, a keyboard, a key pad, or a scroll wheel.

12. A device, comprising:

a sensing layer;

a voltage response analysis component coupled to the sensing layer and configured to analyze a voltage response of the sensing layer;

a piezoelectric response component coupled to the voltage response analysis component to activate a first action based on determining that a voltage response is the result of a piezoelectric response; and

a pyroelectric response component coupled to the voltage response analysis component to activate a second action based on determining that a voltage response is the result of a pyroelectric response.

13. The device of claim 12, where the piezoelectric response component is configured to control the intensity of the first action or the number of objects to include in the first action based on the voltage response.

14. The device of claim 12, where the pyroelectric response component is configured to control the intensity of the second action or the number of objects to include in the second action based on the voltage response.

15. A method, comprising:

monitoring capacitance and voltage at one or more input sensors configured to detect changes in capacitance and to detect changes in applied force;

detecting a change in capacitance;

activating a capacitance response in response to detecting a change in capacitance;

detecting a change in voltage; and

activating a force response in response to detecting a change in voltage.

16. The method of claim 15, activating a force response comprises:

activating a press event in response to detecting an increase in voltage; and

activating a non-press event in response to detecting a decrease in voltage.

17. The method of claim 16, where activating a press event followed by activating a non-press event causes a single-click action to be performed, and where activating a first press event followed by a non-press event, followed by a second press event within a particular time period causes a double-click action to be performed.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

adjusting a sensitivity of the sensor by one of changing an area of the sensor, changing a thickness of the sensor, or changing a gain of an amplifier configured to amplify a signal from the sensor.

19. The method of claim 15, where detecting a change in the voltage comprises:

determining whether the change in voltage is consistent with a piezoelectric response or a pyroelectric response;

activating a first function based on determining that the change in voltage is consistent with a pyroelectric response; and

activating a second function based on determining that the change in voltage is consistent with a piezoelectric response, where the first function is different from the second function.

20. The method of claim 15, where activating the capacitance response comprises one of activating a button, a key or a link, lighting a display, updating contents being displayed, silencing a ring tone, or answering a call.