Accelerometer module for use with a touch sensitive device
First Claim
1. An apparatus, comprising:
- an electronic device including a touch screen having a touch sensor input to a processor; and
a module selectively securable to the electronic device adjacent the touch sensor, the module including one or more acceleration-responsive mechanisms, each acceleration-responsive mechanism including a lever pivotally coupled to the module, a deformable member coupled to the lever and contacting the touch screen over a contact area that varies in response to acceleration, and a biasing member disposed to bias the lever toward the touch screen, wherein the biasing member is configured to supply a substantially constant biasing force to push the deformable member against the touch screen to cause a first extent of elastic deformation of the deformable member, such that an acceleration opposing the substantially constant biasing force results in a second extent of elastic deformation that is less than the first extent of elastic deformation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An accelerometer module for use with a touch sensor on a device, a method of detecting acceleration using a touch sensor, and a computer program product for receiving the touch sensor data and producing output representative of acceleration. The accelerometer module provides a device with a touch sensor, such as a mobile phone, with the ability to sense acceleration, orientation, or both. The accelerometer module may sense acceleration along a single axis or multiple axis. Sensing acceleration along three axis may be useful for producing a handheld game controller or for providing input to many other applications. The accelerometer module applies a force against a deformable member to change the contact area between the deformable member and the touch sensor, wherein the contact area is a function of the amount of applied acceleration.
37 Citations
10 Claims
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
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an electronic device including a touch screen having a touch sensor input to a processor; and a module selectively securable to the electronic device adjacent the touch sensor, the module including one or more acceleration-responsive mechanisms, each acceleration-responsive mechanism including a lever pivotally coupled to the module, a deformable member coupled to the lever and contacting the touch screen over a contact area that varies in response to acceleration, and a biasing member disposed to bias the lever toward the touch screen, wherein the biasing member is configured to supply a substantially constant biasing force to push the deformable member against the touch screen to cause a first extent of elastic deformation of the deformable member, such that an acceleration opposing the substantially constant biasing force results in a second extent of elastic deformation that is less than the first extent of elastic deformation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification