INPUT DEVICE WITH FORCE SENSING
First Claim
1. An input device comprising:
- a first electrode disposed on a first substrate;
a second electrode coupled to a second substrate, the second electrode overlapping the first electrode, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode define at least part of a variable capacitance;
a third substrate having an opening, the third substrate arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate with the opening between at least a portion of the first electrode and at least a portion the second electrode; and
a transmission element physically coupled to the second substrate and configured such that force biasing the transmission element causes the second electrode to deflect relative to the first electrode and changes the variable capacitance.
3 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
Devices and methods are provided that utilize a first electrode disposed on a first substrate and a second electrode disposed on a second substrate, where the first electrode and the second electrode define at least part of a variable capacitance. A third substrate is arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate, the third substrate having an opening arranged such that at least a portion of the first electrode and the second electrode overlap the opening. A transmission element is provided that partially overlaps the opening. The transmission element is physically coupled to the second electrode such that a force biasing the transmission element causes the second electrode to deflect relative to the first electrode, thus changing the variable capacitance. A measurement of the variable capacitance may then be used to determine force information.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An input device comprising:
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a first electrode disposed on a first substrate; a second electrode coupled to a second substrate, the second electrode overlapping the first electrode, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode define at least part of a variable capacitance; a third substrate having an opening, the third substrate arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate with the opening between at least a portion of the first electrode and at least a portion the second electrode; and a transmission element physically coupled to the second substrate and configured such that force biasing the transmission element causes the second electrode to deflect relative to the first electrode and changes the variable capacitance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An input device comprising:
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a first substrate; a second substrate; a third substrate arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate, the third substrate including a first opening; a plurality of capacitive sensor electrodes, the plurality of capacitive sensor electrodes disposed on at least one substrate selected from the group consisting of the first substrate, the second substrate, and the third substrate, the plurality of capacitive sensor electrodes configured to detect objects in a sensing region; a touch surface configured to be touched by objects in the sensing region; a first force electrode disposed on the first substrate, the first force electrode at least partially overlapping the first opening in the third substrate; a second force electrode disposed on the second substrate, the second force electrode at least partially overlapping the first opening in the third substrate, the first and second force electrodes defining at least part of a first variable capacitance; and a transmission element physically coupled to the second force electrode and configured such that force applied to the touch surface transmits to the transmission element and deflects the second force electrode relative to the first force electrode, changing the first variable capacitance. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An input device comprising:
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a first substrate; a second substrate; a third substrate arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate, the third substrate including a first opening; a first plurality of capacitive sensor electrodes disposed on the first substrate; a second plurality of capacitive sensor electrodes disposed on the third substrate, where the first and second plurality of capacitive sensor electrodes are configured to capacitively detect objects in a sensing region; a first force electrode disposed on the first substrate, the first force electrode at least partially overlapping the first opening in the third substrate; a second force electrode disposed on the second substrate, the second force electrode at least partially overlapping the first opening in the third substrate; wherein the first and second force electrodes define at least part of a first variable capacitance; a transmission element physically coupled to the second force electrode and configured such that a force biasing the transmission element causes the second force electrode to deflect relative to the first force electrode changing the first variable capacitance, and wherein the transmission element allows a portion of the second substrate to move within the first opening; and a processing system coupled to the first plurality of capacitive sensor electrodes, the second plurality of capacitive sensor electrodes, the first force electrode, and the second force electrode, wherein the processing system is configured to determine positional information for objects in the sensing region, and wherein the processing system is further configured to determine a first value of the first variable capacitance and determine force information relating to the force biasing the transmission element using the first value. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for measuring user input, the method comprising:
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determining a capacitance value of a variable capacitance defined at least in part by a first electrode disposed on a first substrate and a second electrode coupled to a second substrate, wherein the second electrode overlaps the first electrode, wherein a third substrate having an opening is arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate with the opening between at least a portion of the first electrode and at least a portion the second electrode, wherein the opening has an opening area, and wherein a transmission element is physically coupled to the second substrate; and determining force information from the determined capacitance value about the force of a user input biasing the transmission element relative to the first electrode, causing the second electrode to deflect relative to the first electrode, and changing the variable capacitance; generating an output indicating the force information; and capacitively detecting at least one object in a sensing region with a first plurality of capacitive sensor electrodes disposed on at least one of the first substrate, the second substrate, and the third substrate.
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Specification