ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING A TOUCH-SENSITIVE DISPLAY

• US 20130016060A1
• Filed: 07/12/2011
• Published: 01/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: GOLOVCHENKO, Mykola, STACY, William Turlay
• Application Number:
  US13/180,917
• Publication Number:
  US 20130016060A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• 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 2203/04107 Shielding in digitiser, i.e. guard or shielding arrangements, mostly for capacitive touchscreens, e.g. driven shields, driven grounds
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• 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

Abstract

A device includes a touch sensor, and at least one electrode spaced from touch sensor by an air gap, wherein a change in capacitance between the touch sensor and the electrode is utilized to determine a value related to a force imparted on the device.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a first sensor;

an electrode spaced from the first sensor by an air gap;

wherein a change in capacitance between the first sensor and the electrode are utilized to determine a value related to a force causing bending of the first sensor.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first sensor is disposed on a substrate and bending of the first sensor comprises bending of the substrate.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first sensor comprises at least one set of touch-sensing electrodes disposed on a substrate and bending of the first sensor comprises bending of the substrate.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first sensor comprises a first set of touch-sensing electrodes and second set of touch-sensing electrodes disposed on opposing sides of a substrate.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first sensor comprises a substrate supported at sides thereof to inhibit movement of the sides toward the at least one electrode when the force is imparted on the device.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one electrode comprises a ground shield disposed on a display.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first sensor comprises a capacitive touch sensor.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the change in capacitance is caused by a change in distance between the first sensor and the electrode.

9. The device according to claim 1, comprising a display on which the at least one electrode is disposed.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first sensor comprises a force-sensing electrode disposed on a side of a substrate.

11. The device according to claim 10, comprising a first set of touch-sensing electrodes on an opposite side of the substrate and a second set of touch-sensing electrodes on a side of a cover, the first set of touch-sensing electrodes and the second set of touch-sensing electrodes separated by a dielectric adhesive.

19. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one electrode comprises a ground shield disposed on the display.

20. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first sensor comprises a force-sensing electrode disposed on a side of a substrate and the device comprises a first set of touch-sensing electrodes on an opposite side of the substrate and a second set of touch-sensing electrodes on a side of a cover, wherein the first set of touch-sensing electrodes and the second set of touch-sensing electrodes are separated by a dielectric adhesive.

12. A method comprising:

detecting a touch utilizing a touch sensor of a touch-sensitive display;

utilizing a change in capacitance between the touch sensor and at least one electrode to determine a value related to a force causing bending of the touch sensor.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the change in capacitance is caused by a change in distance between the first sensor and the electrode.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein bending of the touch sensor comprises bending of a substrate including touch-sensing electrodes disposed thereon.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein bending of the touch sensor comprises bending of a glass substrate including touch-sensing electrodes disposed thereon.

16. An electronic device comprising:

a display;

at least one electrode disposed on the display;

a first sensor spaced form the at least one electrode by an air gap;

wherein a change in capacitance between the first sensor and the at least one electrode is utilized to determine a value related to a force causing bending of the first sensor.

17. The touch-sensitive display according to claim 16, wherein the first sensor is disposed on a substrate and bending of the first sensor comprises bending of the substrate.

18. The touch-sensitive display according to claim 16, wherein the first sensor comprises a substrate supported at sides thereof to inhibit movement of the sides toward the at least one electrode when the force is imparted on the device.