Method and Apparatus for Force Sensing

• US 20130257817A1
• Filed: 03/27/2012
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Yliaho, Marko T.
• Granted Patent: US 11,474,645 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/177
• 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 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/043 using propagating acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a housing and a sensor system. The housing includes a display assembly and a cavity. The cavity is proximate the display assembly. The sensor system is at the cavity. The sensor system is configured to determine an amount of force exerted on the display assembly in response to a pressure change inside the cavity.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a housing comprising a display assembly and a cavity, wherein the cavity is proximate the display assembly; and

a sensor system at the cavity, wherein the sensor system is configured to determine an amount of force exerted on the display assembly in response to a pressure change inside the cavity.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the sensor system is an air pressure sensor system.

3. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the sensor system comprises at least one microphone.

4. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the display assembly is an audio display assembly comprising audio, display, and tactile feedback functionality.

5. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the apparatus further comprises one or more piezoelectric actuators.

6. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the display assembly comprises a touch screen user interface, and wherein the sensor system is configured to determine an amount of force exerted on the display assembly in response to a positional change of the display when force is exerted on the touch screen user interface.

7. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the cavity is between the display assembly and a back cover section of the apparatus.

8. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the cavity is opposite a center portion of the display assembly.

9. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the force corresponds to a touch at a touch screen of the display assembly.

10. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the apparatus comprises a display suspension system connected between the housing and the display assembly.

11. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the cavity is substantially sealed.

12. An apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following;

sense a change in the air pressure at the cavity; and

determine an amount of force exerted on a touch screen of the display assembly.

13. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the apparatus is a mobile phone.

14. A method comprising:

measuring an air pressure at a cavity of a device, wherein the cavity is proximate a display assembly of the device; and

determining an amount of force exerted on the display assembly based on a change in air pressure at the cavity.

15. A method as in claim 14 wherein the display assembly is an audio display assembly comprising audio, display and tactile feedback functionality.

16. A method as in claim 14 wherein the display assembly comprises a touch screen user interface.

17. A method as in claim 14 wherein the cavity is between the display assembly and a back cover section of the device.

18. A method as in claim 14 further comprising performing an operation based, at least partially, upon the determined force on the display assembly.

19. A method as in claim 18 wherein the performed operation is based on a value of the determined force.

20. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium bearing computer program code embodied therein for use with a computer, the computer program code comprising:

code for measuring an air pressure at a cavity of a device, wherein the cavity is proximate a display assembly of the device; and

code for determining an amount of force exerted on the display assembly based on a change in air pressure at the cavity; and

code for performing an operation based, at least partially, upon the determined force on the display assembly.

21. A computer program product as in claim 20 wherein the operation comprises code for measuring further comprises code for measuring the air pressure at a sealed cavity of the device, wherein the cavity is between an audio display assembly of the device and a housing section of the device.