CAPACITIVE DOME SWITCH
First Claim
1. A dome switch comprising:
- a circuit comprising a terminal, wherein the terminal is electrically conductive, and wherein no external surface of the terminal is exposed;
a dome positioned adjacent to the circuit, wherein a portion of the dome is operative to deflect to decrease a distance between the portion of the dome and the terminal; and
a controller electrically connected to the terminal, wherein the controller is operative to measure a change in capacitance of a capacitor for which the terminal serves as a conductor when the portion of the dome deflects.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
This is directed to a dome switch that includes a capacitive sensor. A dome switch can include a dome operative to deform to provide tactile feedback to a user. To provide an electrical instruction to the device, the region underneath the dome can define a free space separating conductive regions forming a capacitor. For example, a tip of the dome, a button placed between the dome and a circuit board, or a user'"'"'s finger can form a first conductor of a capacitor, and a support structure for the dome can include a terminal forming a second conductor completing the capacitor. When the dome deflects, the distance between the conductors can change and provide a measurable capacitance variation, which the device can detect. To protect the dome switch from damage due to contaminants, the terminal can be integrated within a volume of the circuit board such that it is not exposed to the environment of the dome switch. In one implementation, the terminal may not be exposed to air.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A dome switch comprising:
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a circuit comprising a terminal, wherein the terminal is electrically conductive, and wherein no external surface of the terminal is exposed; a dome positioned adjacent to the circuit, wherein a portion of the dome is operative to deflect to decrease a distance between the portion of the dome and the terminal; and a controller electrically connected to the terminal, wherein the controller is operative to measure a change in capacitance of a capacitor for which the terminal serves as a conductor when the portion of the dome deflects. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for constructing a capacitive dome switch, comprising:
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defining a terminal that is not exposed to an environment of the dome switch; placing a dome over the terminal, wherein the dome can deflect to change a distance between a tip of the dome and the terminal; and connecting a controller to the terminal, wherein the controller is operative to detect a change in capacitance corresponding to the terminal when the dome deflects. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An electronic device, comprising:
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a support structure; a conductive terminal, wherein the conductive terminal is coupled to the support structure such that no air external to the support structure comes into contact with the conductive terminal; a controller electrically coupled to the conductive terminal, wherein the controller is operative to detect a capacitance value corresponding to the conductive terminal; a dome placed adjacent to the support structure, wherein the dome can be at least partially inverted; and a housing enclosing the support structure, the conductive terminal, the controller, and the dome, wherein a tip of the dome is in contact with the housing such that a force applied to the housing can cause the dome to be at least partially inverted. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification