Three-dimensional analog input control device

• US 8,004,052 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2009
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vladimir Vaganov
• Original Assignee: Vladimir Vaganov
• Inventors: Vaganov, Vladimir
• Primary Examiner(s): Roman; Angel
• Application Number:
  US12/477,076
• Publication Number:
  US 20090237275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 257/415, 257/730, 257/778, 257/787
• US Class Current: 257/415
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks

Abstract

A method and device for one or more dimensional input control of different functions in electronic devices is provided. Certain versions of the Present Invention provide a one or more dimensional input force interface control device for cell phones, portable gamers, digital cameras, and other applications. Certain alternate versions of the Present Invention exhibit one or more of the qualities of smallness, low-cost, high reliability, and/or high stability. Certain still alternate versions of the Present Invention provide a three, two or one-dimensional input finger force control device that (1.) accommodates a required ratio between X, Y and Z sensitivities, (2.) has low cross-axis sensitivity, (3.) allows process integration with other sensors and CMOS, (4.) is scalable, (5.) allows convenient solutions for applying an external force, and/or (6.) allows economic manufacturability for high volume consumer markets.

Claims

1. An input control device for inputting a signal representative of an applied force into a processing system comprising:

a sensor die comprising;

a substrate;

at least one rigid island element formed in the substrate;

an elastic element surrounding said at least one rigid island element within said substrate;

a frame surrounding said elastic element; and

at least one IC component located on the elastic element and responsive to a force applied to the elastic element;

at least one force-transferring element coupled to the at least one rigid island element formed in the substrate, wherein a force applied to the at least one force-transferring element is transferred to the at least one rigid island element and thereby transferred to the elastic element and to the at least one IC component, such that the at least one IC component produces, in response to the force applied, a signal representative of the force applied; and

at least one electronic circuit coupled to the at least one IC component, where the at least one electronic circuit receives the signal representative of the force applied and in response produces an output signal proportional to the force;

wherein the sensor die has terminal pads on a first surface wherein the terminal pads are coupled to one of;

the at least one IC component, the at least one electronic circuit or both the at least one IC component and the electronic circuit; and

wherein an access to the at least one rigid island element for applying force is provided from the first surface of the sensor die.

2. The input control device of claim 1, wherein the at least one force-transferring element comprises one or more cavities formed within a body of the at least one force-transferring element.

3. The input control device of claim 1, further comprising at least one spring element coupled to the at least one force-transferring element.

4. The input control device of claim 3 wherein the output signal is proportional to an amount of deflection of the spring element.

5. The input control device of claim 3 further comprising a button connected to at least one of the following:

the spring element, the at least one rigid island element, or the at least one force-transferring element.

6. The input control device of claim 1, wherein the at least one force-transferring element is a spring element.

7. The input control device of claim 1, wherein at least one IC component comprises at least one of:

a piezoresistor, a pn-junction, a tunnel diode, a Schottky diode, a shear stress component, a piezoresistive Wheatstone bridge, a MOS transistor, a complementary pair of CMOS transistors, a bipolar transistor, a pair of p-n-p and n-p-n bipolar transistors, a bipolar transistor and at least one piezoresistor connected to transistor, a MOS transistor and at least one piezoresistor connected to transistor, a bipolar transistor circuit, and a CMOS transistor circuit.

8. The input control device of claim 1, wherein an additional access to the at least one rigid island element for applying force is provided from a second surface opposite to the first surface.

9. An input control device for inputting a signal representative of an applied force into a processing system comprising:

a sensor die comprising;

a substrate;

at least one rigid island element formed in the substrate;

an elastic element surrounding said at least one rigid island element within said substrate;

a frame surrounding said elastic element; and

at least two IC components located on the elastic element and responsive to a force applied to the elastic element;

at least one force-transferring element coupled to the at least one rigid island element formed in the substrate, wherein a force applied to the at least one force-transferring element is transferred to the at least one rigid island element and thereby transferred to the elastic element and to the at least two IC components, such that each of the at least two IC components produces, in response to the force applied, a respective signal representative of the force applied; and

at least one electronic circuit coupled to the at least two IC components to receive the signals representative of the force applied, and where the at least one electronic circuit produces an output signal proportional to at least two components of a force vector representative of the force applied to the at least one force-transferring element;

wherein the sensor die comprises terminal pads on a first surface wherein the terminal pads are coupled to one of;

at least one of the at least two IC components, the at least one electronic circuit or both at least one of the two IC components and the at least one electronic circuit; and

wherein an access to the at least one rigid island element for applying force is provided from the first surface of the sensor die.

10. The input control device of claim 9, wherein the at least one force-transferring element comprises one or more cavities formed within a body of the at least one force-transferring element.

11. The input control device of claim 9, further comprising at least one spring element coupled to the at least one force-transferring element.

12. The input control device of claim 11 wherein the output signal is proportional to an amount of deflection of the spring element.

13. The input control device of claim 11 further comprising a button connected to at least one of the following:

the spring element, the at least one rigid island element, or the at least one force-transferring element.

14. The input control device of claim 9, wherein the at least one force-transferring element is a spring element.

15. The input control device of claim 9, wherein each one of the at least two IC components comprises at least one of:

a piezoresistor, a pn-junction, a tunnel diode, a Schottky diode, a shear stress component, a piezoresistive Wheatstone bridge, a MOS transistor, a complementary pair of CMOS transistors, a bipolar transistor, a pair of p-n-p and n-p-n bipolar transistors, a bipolar transistor and at least one piezoresistor connected to transistor, a MOS transistor and at least one piezoresistor connected to transistor, a bipolar transistor circuit, and a CMOS transistor circuit.

16. The input control device of claim 9, wherein an additional access to the at least one rigid island element for applying force is provided from a second surface opposite to the first surface.