TOUCH-SENSITIVE DISPLAY WITH OPTICAL SENSOR AND METHOD

• US 20120068971A1
• Filed: 09/17/2010
• Published: 03/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Pemberton-Pigott, Nigel Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 9,513,737 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/175
• 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 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers

Abstract

An electronic device includes a touch-sensitive display and a sensor configured to detect a force that results in depression of the touch-sensitive display. The sensor includes an optical device that receives a reflection of an optical signal, wherein the force affects the reflection.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

a sensor configured to detect a force that results in depression of the touch-sensitive display, wherein the sensor comprises an optical device that receives a reflection of an optical signal, wherein the force affects the reflection.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the optical device comprises an optical receiver and an optical emitter.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the optical device emits an optical signal that is reflected from an external surface of the touch-sensitive display.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein an external surface of the touch-sensitive display includes a reflective surface.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein an optical device emits an optical signal at a first light wavelength, wherein the distance between an external surface of the touch-sensitive display and the optical device is substantially equal to a multiple of the first light wavelength.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the force sensor detects a change in a distance between an external surface of the touch-sensitive display and the optical device.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the force sensor comprises a plurality of optical receivers.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the force sensor detects a change in the reflection due to bending of the touch-sensitive display resulting from the force.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the optical device comprises a first optical receiver that receives a first reflection from a first external surface of the touch-sensitive display and a second optical receiver that receives a second reflection from a second external surface of the touch-sensitive display.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the touch-sensitive display is depressible.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the force sensor is disposed near an external surface of the touch-sensitive display.

12. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the reflection has a first characteristic when the force does not meet a threshold, and wherein the reflection has a second characteristic when the force meets the threshold.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the first characteristic is a first amplitude and the second characteristic is a second amplitude that is less than the first amplitude.

14. An electronic device comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

a force sensor operable with the touch-sensitive display to detect a force exerted on the touch-sensitive display, wherein the force sensor comprises an optical device that receives a reflection of an optical signal, wherein the reflection is affected by the force;

an optical emitter arranged to provide optical signals from which the reflection results;

a processor configured to receive signals from the optical receiver and evaluate the signals to detect a variation related to the force.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the optical receiver and the optical emitter are integrated into a single component.

16. The electronic device of claim 14, further configured to provide an indication of selection of a feature displayed on the touch-sensitive display when the variation meet a threshold.

17. A method comprising:

emitting an optical signal toward a surface of a touch-sensitive display;

receiving a reflection of the optical signal;

detecting a change in the reflection caused by a force exerted on the touch-sensitive display;

providing an indication of the force when the change is detected.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising comparing the change in reflection to a threshold, wherein the indication is provided when the change exceeds the threshold.