Three-dimensional input control device

• US 8,350,345 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2011
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• 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): Soward, Ida M
• Application Number:
  US13/215,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20110298705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: 257/415, 257/417, 257/418, 257/419, 257/420, 257/785, 257/E23.078, 257/E27.006
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

Some embodiments provide force input control devices for sensing vector forces comprising: a sensor die comprising: a rigid island, an elastic element coupled to the rigid island, die frame coupled to a periphery of the elastic element, one or more stress sensitive components on the elastic element, and signal processing IC, where the sensor die is sensitive to a magnitude and a direction of a force applied to the rigid island within the sensor die, where the sensor die is coupled electrically and mechanically to a substrate, a spring element coupling an external button, where the force is applied, to the rigid island element, wherein the spring element has a flat geometry and located in a plane parallel to a plane of the substrate, where the spring element is configured to translate a deflection of the button into an allowable force applied to the rigid island.

Claims

1. A force input control device for sensing vector forces and converting them into electronic signals for processing on a substrate comprising:

a sensor die comprising;

a rigid island, an elastic element coupled to the rigid island, die frame coupled to a periphery of the elastic element, one or more stress sensitive components on the elastic element, and signal processing IC, where the sensor die is sensitive to a magnitude and a direction of a force applied to the rigid island within the sensor die,

where the sensor die is coupled electrically and mechanically to a substrate,

a spring element coupling an external button, where the force is applied, to the rigid island element,

wherein the spring element has a flat geometry and located in a plane parallel to a plane of the substrate, where the spring element is configured to translate a deflection of the button into an allowable force applied to the rigid island.

2. The force input control device for sensing vector forces as in claim 1, further comprising an additional rigid force-transferring element coupled to the rigid island and the spring element and providing a bigger surface area than the rigid island and with which spring element couples, and where the rigid force-transferring element is configured to provide protection of the elastic element from a side of the rigid island.

3. The force input control device for sensing vector forces as in claim 1, wherein the spring element comprises at least one element chosen from a group of:

rubber-like flat diaphragm, corrugated diaphragm, spiral spring, flat zigzag spring, cylinder spring, rubber-like strings, and combination of the above.

4. The force input control device for sensing vector forces as in claim 1, wherein the button is cooperated relative to the substrate and configured to slide in a plane parallel to the substrate.

5. The force input control device for sensing vector forces as in claim 1, wherein the rigid island, the elastic element, the die frame, the one or more stress sensitive components, and the signal processing IC of the sensor die are formed within single semiconductor substrate.

6. The force input control device for sensing vector forces as in claim 1, wherein a height of the rigid island is greater than a difference between a thickness of the die frame and a thickness of the elastic element.

7. The force input control device for sensing vector forces as in claim 1, wherein the sensor die comprises at least two stress sensitive components on the elastic element.

8. The force input control device for sensing vector forces as in claim 1, wherein the sensor die comprises at least three stress sensitive components on the elastic element.

9. The force input control device for sensing vector forces as in claim 1, wherein the at least one stress sensitive component is selected from the group of stress sensitive components consisting of:

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

10. The force input control device for sensing vector forces as in claim 1, wherein the elastic element has annular or n-sided polygon geometry with thickness smaller than a thickness of the die frame adjacent the elastic element.

11. The force input control device for sensing vector forces as in claim 1, wherein the elastic element comprises at least one penetration extending through a thickness dimension of the elastic element, where the thickness dimension is perpendicular to a surface of the elastic element.

12. The force input control device for sensing vector forces as in claim 1, wherein the rigid island element is formed in a shape selected from a group of shapes consisting of cone, cylinder, semi-sphere, sphere, faceted cone, faceted cylinder, faceted semi-sphere, faceted sphere and combinations.

13. The force input control device for sensing vector forces as in claim 1, wherein the rigid island element comprises at least one non-uniformity selected from a group of non-uniformities consisting of cavity, trench, hole, mesa, ridge, bridge, cantilever, area of negative slope and combinations.

14. The force input control device for sensing vector forces as in claim 1, wherein the signal processing IC comprise circuitry configured to provide functions selected from a group of functions consisting of analog signal amplification, analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion, multiplexing, signal processing, gate logic, memory, digital interface, power management, encryption, compression and decompression, mixed signal processing, transmitting and receiving wireless signals, sensing various physical domains other than force and combinations.

15. The force input control device for sensing vector forces as in claim 1, further comprising:

a rigid force transferring element connected to the rigid island; and

a shell spring element configured to provide mechanical feedback allowing sensing of a click in response to pressure applied to the button in excess of a threshold detectable by at least one of the one or more stress sensitive components that are configured to generate a corresponding signal.

16. The force input control device for sensing vector forces as in claim 1, further comprising a force transferring element connected to the rigid island and having at least one additional microstructure element from the group of cavities, trenches, bumps or ridges for better adhesion with an additional force-transferring element, and where the force transferring element is further configured to provide protection of the elastic element and for additional mechanical overload protection.

17. The force input control device for sensing vector forces as in claim 1, further comprising one or more stops positioned relative to the substrate and the external button, where the one or more stops are configured to limit a range of a sliding motion of the external button.

18. The force input control device for sensing vector forces as in claim 1, where the button and spring element are positioned separate from a surface of the substrate upon which the sensor die is mounted.

19. The force input control device for sensing vector forces as in claim 17, wherein the one or more stops are located beneath the button, which allows to save area on a working panel of a consumer device into which the force input control device is incorporated.

20. The force input control device for sensing vector forces as in claim 1, further comprising:

a base part comprising;

a wireless communication circuit, a sliding slot and one or more mechanical stops;

the spring element coupling a body of the button to a force transferring element coupled to the rigid island; and

a shell spring element configured to provide a tactile feedback of an action function;

where the button comprises a sliding guide configured to cooperate with the sliding slot such that the button is configured to slide in X and Y directions that are generally parallel with a surface of the elastic element, and whereby the sliding guide is further configured to protect the sensor die from dust and mechanical particles;

wherein the base part and the button are assembled together in such a way that the button is slidably movable relative to the base part in the X and Y directions.