TOUCH INPUT DETECTION ALONG DEVICE SIDEWALL

• US 20180129355A1
• Filed: 11/10/2016
• Published: 05/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sentons, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sentons, Inc.
• Inventors: Lynn, Lapoe E., Sheng, Samuel W., Maximov, Stanislav, Shih, Shih-Ming
• Granted Patent: US 10,908,741 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/043 using propagating acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0433 in which the acoustic waves are either generated by a movable member and propagated within a surface layer or propagated within a surface layer and captured by a movable member
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0436 in which generating transducers and detecting transducers are attached to a single acoustic waves transmission substrate

Abstract

A touch input is detected. From a plurality of transmitters coupled to a propagating medium, propagating signals are emitted through the propagating medium. At a plurality of receivers coupled to the propagating medium, one or more of the propagating signals that have been disturbed by the touch input are received. The plurality of transmitters and the plurality of receivers are coupled to the propagating medium on an internal side of a device sidewall. One or more detected propagating signals that have been disturbed by the touch input are analyzed to identify the touch input on an external surface of the device sidewall.

Claims

1. A system for detecting a touch input, comprising:

a plurality of transmitters coupled to a propagating medium, wherein each of the plurality of transmitters is configured to emit a propagating signal that propagates through the propagating medium;

a plurality of receivers coupled to the propagating medium, wherein each of the plurality of receivers is configured to detect one or more of the propagating signals that have been disturbed by the touch input, and the plurality of transmitters and the plurality of receivers are coupled to the propagating medium on an internal side of a device sidewall; and

a processor configured to analyze one or more detected propagating signals that have been disturbed by the touch input to identify the touch input on an external surface of the device sidewall.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein identifying the touch input includes identifying a location of the touch input on a one-dimensional axis on the external surface of the device sidewall.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the propagating medium is metal.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least two of the propagating signals emitted by the transmitters include different signal content.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein a second device sidewall of the system is configured to accept a second touch input.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the propagating medium is at least a part of a device housing and the internal side of the device sidewall is within the device housing.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of transmitters are coupled to the propagating medium in a pocket within the device sidewall.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of transmitters and the plurality of receivers are mounted inline on a flex cable.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of transmitters and the plurality of receivers are mounted on fingers extending from a linear flex cable portion.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein identifying the touch input includes analyzing the one or more detected propagating signals that have been disturbed by the touch input to identify a force of the touch input.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the force of the touch input is utilized to detect a user command associated with the touch input.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the user command is detected in the event the force is greater than a threshold value.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein a detected duration of the touch input is utilized to identify a user command associated with the touch input.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein a detected gesture of the touch input is utilized to identify a user command associated with the touch input.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the touch input was provided on a physical button and the touch input was detected without physically actuating the physical button.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of touch inputs are detected by analyzing the detected propagating signals that have been disturbed by the touch inputs.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the propagating medium is not a part of a display surface.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of transmitters and the plurality of receivers are transducers.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the propagating signals are ultrasonic signals.

20. A method for detecting a touch input, comprising:

emitting from a plurality of transmitters coupled to a propagating medium, propagating signals through the propagating medium;

receiving at a plurality of receivers coupled to the propagating medium one or more of the propagating signals that have been disturbed by the touch input, wherein the plurality of transmitters and the plurality of receivers are coupled to the propagating medium on an internal side of a device sidewall; and

using a processor to analyze one or more detected propagating signals that have been disturbed by the touch input to identify the touch input on an external surface of the device sidewall.