TOUCH-SENSITIVE DISPLAY WITH DEPRESSION DETECTION AND METHOD

• US 20120068939A1
• Filed: 09/17/2010
• Published: 03/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Pemberton-Pigott, Nigel Patrick
• Application Number:
  US12/884,611
• Publication Number:
  US 20120068939A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means

Abstract

A device includes a touch-sensitive display having a first location associated with a first threshold and a second location associated with a second threshold. A sensor is configured to detect depression of the touch-sensitive display by detecting a force exerted at a location on the touch-sensitive display The force exerted effects a characteristic of an optical signal. The characteristic is compared to the first threshold when the force is exerted in the first location, and the characteristic is compared to the second threshold when the force is exerted in the second location.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a touch-sensitive display having a first location associated with a first threshold and a second location associated with a second threshold;

a sensor configured to detect depression of the touch-sensitive display by detecting a force exerted at a location on the touch-sensitive display, wherein the force exerted effects a characteristic of an optical signal, wherein the characteristic is compared to the first threshold when the force is exerted in the first location, and wherein the characteristic is compared to the second threshold when the force is exerted in the second location.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first location comprises a location in which the touch-sensitive display flexes a first amount in response to a first force.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the second location a location in which the touch-sensitive display flexes a second amount different from the first amount in response to the first force.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the characteristic is a change in phase of the optical signal.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the force exerted on the touch-sensitive display affects the optical path.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the second threshold comprises change in phase of the optical signal in the optical path and wherein the second threshold represents a larger change in phase than the first threshold.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the affect on the optical path is a changes in amplitude of an optical signal output from the optical path.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein an optical path of the optical signal is within the touch-sensitive display.

9. A portable electronic device comprising the device of claim 1.

10. A method comprising:

detecting a touch at a first location on a touch-sensitive display;

associating one of a first threshold and a second threshold with the location of the touch;

emitting an optical signal toward the touch-sensitive display;

determining a phase difference between two samples of the optical signal;

when the phase difference meets the threshold, processing the touch as a selection.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the obtaining the threshold comprises selecting the threshold from a plurality of thresholds based on the location of the touch.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the phase difference comprises comparing the phase difference to a second phase difference.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein comparing the phase difference to the second phase difference is performed prior to the comparison to the threshold.