INPUT MECHANISM WITH DEFORMABLE TOUCH-SENSITIVE MATERIAL

• US 20170038793A1
• Filed: 08/04/2015
• Published: 02/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Kallman, Benjamin J., Jol, Eric S., Rasmussen, Timothy J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,296,047 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2011/002 for portable handheld communication devices, e.g. mobile phone, pager, beeper, PDA, smart phone
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 17/06 Electric connectors, e.g. conductive elastomers
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/08 Touch switches specially adapted for time-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1635 Details related to the integration of battery packs and other power supplies such as fuel cells or integrated AC adapter
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1633 Protecting arrangement for the entire housing of the computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00

Abstract

A case for an electronic device is disclosed. The case includes a body defining an interior volume configured to receive the electronic device therein. The body includes a user input region formed from a deformable material having an electrical resistance that decreases in response to a touch force on the deformable material, and an electrode pair in contact with the deformable material and configured to be operatively coupled to a sensing circuit configured to detect a change to the electrical resistance of the deformable material due to the touch force. The body also includes a connector configured to operatively couple the electrode pair to the electronic device.

Claims

1. A case for an electronic device, comprising:

a body defining an interior volume configured to receive the electronic device therein, the body comprising;

a user input region formed from a deformable material having an electrical resistance that decreases in response to a touch force on the deformable material; and

an electrode pair in contact with the deformable material and configured to be operatively coupled to a sensing circuit configured to detect a change to the electrical resistance of the deformable material due to the touch force; and

a connector configured to operatively couple the electrode pair to the electronic device.

2. The case of claim 1, wherein:

the electrode pair includes a first electrode and a second electrode; and

the user input region includes a portion of the deformable material between the first and second electrodes.

3. The case of claim 2, wherein the user input region is at least partially surrounded by a larger area formed from the deformable material.

4. The case of claim 1, wherein the sensing circuit is disposed at least partially within the body.

5. The case of claim 1, further comprising:

a battery disposed at least partially within the body; and

a battery charge indicator facing outward from the body;

wherein the battery charge indicator indicates an amount of charge remaining in the battery in response to detection of the touch force.

6. The case of claim 1, the user input region comprising:

a first layer of the deformable material having a first hardness; and

a second layer of the deformable material positioned below the first layer and having a second hardness that is different from the first hardness;

wherein the touch force on the deformable material causes an electrical resistance of the first layer to change by a first amount and an electrical resistance of the second layer to change by a second amount different from the first amount.

7. The case of claim 1, wherein:

the deformable material comprises an elastomeric material having a conductive material embedded therein; and

a portion of the body adjacent the deformable material comprises the elastomeric material substantially free of the conductive material.

8. The case of claim 1, wherein:

the user input region is a first user input region; and

the body further comprises a second user input region formed from the deformable material.

9. The case of claim 1, wherein the deformable material forms an exterior surface of the body.

10. The case of claim 1, wherein the body further comprises an outer layer forming an exterior surface of the body, wherein the deformable material is disposed below the outer layer.

11. The case of claim 1, the body further comprising a back configured to cover a non-display portion of the electronic device, the back comprising a single monolithic layer of the deformable material.

12. The case of claim 1, the body further comprising a grid of user input regions, the grid comprising:

a first set of elongate user input regions formed from the deformable material, each of the first set of elongate user input regions extending along a first direction; and

a second set of elongate user input regions formed from the deformable material, each of the second set of elongate user input regions extending along a second direction that is transverse to the first direction;

wherein the grid of user input regions includes the user input region.

13. The case of claim 12, wherein each user input region is defined by a pair of electrodes embedded in the deformable material.

14. An electronic device, comprising:

a display device forming a front surface of the electronic device;

a sensing circuit; and

a housing forming a back surface of the electronic device opposite to the front surface and comprising a user input region formed from a quantum tunneling material;

wherein the sensing circuit is configured to detect a change in an electrical property of the quantum tunneling material in response to a deformation resulting from a touch force of a user input.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, the housing further comprising a grid of user input regions, the grid comprising:

a first set of elongate user input regions formed from the quantum tunneling material, each of the first set of elongate user input regions extending along a first direction; and

a second set of elongate user input regions formed from the quantum tunneling material, each of the second set of elongate user input regions extending along a second direction that is transverse to the first direction;

wherein the grid of user input regions includes the user input region.

16. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein:

the user input region is a first user input region; and

the housing further comprises a second user input region formed from the quantum tunneling material.

17. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the quantum tunneling material comprises an elastomeric material having conductive particles embedded therein.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein:

the back surface further comprises a non-quantum-tunneling material adjacent the quantum tunneling material;

the non-quantum-tunneling material is substantially free of the conductive particles; and

the non-quantum-tunneling material and the quantum tunneling material form a continuous surface.

19. A wearable electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

a processing unit within the housing; and

a band coupled to the housing and configured to couple the wearable electronic device to a user, the band comprising an input region formed from a touch-sensitive material;

wherein;

the touch-sensitive material is operatively coupled to the processing unit; and

the processing unit detects a deformation of the input region based on a change in an electrical characteristic of the touch-sensitive material.

20. The wearable electronic device of claim 19, wherein:

the touch-sensitive material comprises a quantum tunneling material; and

the electrical characteristic is electrical resistance.

21. The wearable electronic device of claim 20, wherein the quantum tunneling material is formed from an elastomeric material having a conductive material embedded therein.

22. The wearable electronic device of claim 19, further comprising an electrode in contact with the touch-sensitive material, wherein:

the band further comprises a lug with a first electrical contact disposed thereon, the first electrical contact coupled to the electrode;

the housing further comprises a lug receptacle with a second electrical contact disposed therein; and

the lug is received in the lug receptacle such that the band is removably coupled to the housing and the first electrical contact is in electrical communication with the second electrical contact, thereby coupling the electrode to the processing unit.

23. The wearable electronic device of claim 19, wherein:

the deformation of the input region corresponds to bending of the band resulting from application of the wearable electronic device to the user; and

the processing unit is configured to determine, based on a value of the electrical characteristic of the touch-sensitive material, whether the wearable electronic device is attached to the user.

24. The wearable electronic device of claim 19, wherein the deformation of the input region corresponds to a pressure being applied to the input region.

25. The wearable electronic device of claim 19, wherein:

deformation of the band resulting from application of the wearable electronic device to the user results in the electrical characteristic of the touch-sensitive material satisfying a first threshold;

direct pressure applied to the input region results in the electrical characteristic of the touch-sensitive material satisfying a second threshold; and

the first threshold is different from the second threshold.

26. The wearable electronic device of claim 25, wherein:

the wearable electronic device is configured to perform a first action in response to detecting that the electrical characteristic of the touch-sensitive material satisfies the first threshold; and

the wearable electronic device is configured to perform a second action in response to detecting that the electrical characteristic of the touch-sensitive material satisfies the second threshold.

27. The wearable electronic device of claim 19, wherein the input region of the band is a first input region, the band further comprising a second input region formed from the touch-sensitive material.

28. The wearable electronic device of claim 27, wherein:

the first input region is adjacent the second input region; and

an actuation surface of the first input region and an actuation surface of the second input region define a continuous surface.

29. An input device for an electronic device, comprising:

a first layer comprising a first touch-sensitive material; and

a second layer comprising a second touch-sensitive material disposed below the first layer;

wherein an electrical resistance of the first and second layers changes differently in response to application of a force to the first layer.

30. The input device of claim 29, wherein the first and second touch-sensitive materials are formed from an elastomeric material having a conductive material embedded therein.

31. The input device of claim 30, wherein the elastomeric material is silicone and the conductive material is carbon.

32. The input device of claim 29, further comprising:

a first electrode pair coupled to the first layer; and

a second electrode pair coupled to the second layer;

wherein the first and second electrode pairs are configured to operatively couple the input device to the electronic device.

33. The input device of claim 29, wherein:

the first layer has a first hardness; and

the second layer has a second hardness different from the first hardness.