Optical capacitive thumb control with pressure sensor

• US 8,907,897 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2009
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Ferren, Bran, Harrison, Charles F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Olson, Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOFFNER, LINH NGUYEN
• Application Number:
  US12/650,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20100315337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,804 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 345/207, 250/330, 250/578.1, 250/339.11, 250/339.14, 250/341.8, 250/342, 257/227
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• 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: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/941 using an optical detector H03K17/968 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/94108 making use of reflection

Abstract

A small sensor surface designed to control a smart phone or Mobile Internet Device (MID). The sensor surface may be mounted on the side of the proposed device in a position where a user'"'"'s thumb or finger naturally falls when holding the device in his/her hand. The sensor surface is simultaneously convex and concave, providing both visual and physical cues for the use of the sensor surface. The sensor may include capacitive sensing, optical sensing and pressure sensing capabilities to interpret thumb gestures into device control.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a touchpad shaped to accommodate a thumb, the touchpad positioned on a mobile computer device;

an array of capacitive sensors associated with the touchpad to detect thumb gestures to control a cursor in an x and y direction for the mobile computer device;

a pressure sensor mechanism associated with the touchpad to detect thumb pressure as a Boolean input for the mobile computer device;

an optical sensor associated with the touchpad to optically detect a thumb; and

wherein the optical sensor is positioned near the center of the touchpad with the array of capacitive sensors surrounding the optical sensor.

2. The apparatus are recited in claim 1 wherein the pressure sensitive mechanism comprises a tactile switch under the touchpad.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the pressure sensitive mechanism comprises a pair of tactile switches, one at either end of the touchpad.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the touchpad is located on an upper side portion of the mobile computer device at a position where a thumb would naturally fall when holding the mobile computer device.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

a zebra strip connector to organize outputs from each sensor in the array of capacitive sensors.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein individual capacitive sensors in the array of capacitive sensors is generally elliptical in shape and are positioned along either side of the touchpad.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein individual capacitive sensors in the array of capacitive sensors are generally diamond in shape.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein individual capacitive sensors in the array of capacitive sensors are generally oval in shape.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

a capacitive sensor co-located with the optical sensor.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

a touchpad shaped to accommodate a thumb, the touchpad positioned on a mobile computer device;

an array of capacitive sensors associated with the touchpad to detect thumb gestures to control a cursor in an x and y direction for the mobile computer device;

a pressure sensor mechanism associated with the touchpad to detect thumb pressure as a Boolean input for the mobile computer device; and

a plurality of optical sensors associated with the touchpad to optically detect thumb movements along a length of the touchpad, the plurality of optical sensor are positioned down a center line of the touchpad with the array of capacitive sensors surrounding the optical sensors.

11. A system, comprising:

a hand-held computer device;

a thumb touchpad located on an upper side panel of the computer device;

an array of capacitive sensors associated with the touchpad;

at least one optical sensor associated with the touchpad, wherein the array of capacitive sensors and the optical sensor operate to detect thumb gestures to control a cursor in an x and y direction for the computer device; and

a pressure sensor mechanism associated with the touchpad to detect thumb pressure as a Boolean input for the computer device,

further wherein the thumb touchpad comprises;

a saddle shaped outer cover with the array of capacitive sensors distributed therewith;

an aperture in the cover for allowing light to pass through for the optical sensor;

a light source located behind the aperture; and

a light detector located behind the aperture.

12. The system as recited in claim 11 herein the thumb touchpad further comprises:

a zebra strip connector to organize outputs from each sensor in the array of capacitive sensors.

13. The system as recited in claim 11 wherein the pressure sensitive mechanism comprises a tactile switch under the touchpad.

14. The system as recited in claim 11 wherein the pressure sensitive mechanism comprises a pair of tactile switches, one at either end of the touchpad.

15. The system as recited in claim 11 wherein the Boolean input may comprise a click input.