Touch-sensitive display with depression detection and method

• US 9,223,431 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2010
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Pemberton-Pigott, Nigel Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): AU, SCOTT D
• Application Number:
  US12/884,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20120068970A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,929 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-179
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers

Abstract

A device includes a touch-sensitive display and a sensor configured to detect a force that results in depression of the touch-sensitive display. The sensor includes one or more wavelength selective optical carriers that carry optical signals. The force affects one or more optical paths of the optical signals.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a touch-sensitive display, the touch-sensitive display configured to move substantially a same distance as a whole in response to a force exerted on the touch-sensitive display; and

a sensor configured to detect the force that results in depression of the touch-sensitive display, wherein the sensor includes one or more optical carriers that carry optical signals and one or more reference optical carriers that carriers reference optical signals, wherein the force is to affect one or more optical paths of the optical signals and one or more optical paths of the reference optical signals are substantially unaffected by the force.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a plurality of wavelength selective optical carriers.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of wavelength selective optical carriers comprises one or more Bragg grating optical fibers.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a plurality of optical earners.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the plurality of optical carriers are arranged in a non-linear path.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein at least two of the optical carriers cross one another.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises one or more optical fibers.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a substantially planar material in which the optical carriers are integrated.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises an optical fiber and a reference optical fiber, wherein the reference optical fiber carries a reference optical signal that is substantially unaffected by the force.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the force affects one or more of the optical signals by changing a phase of one or more of the optical signals.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the force lengthens one or more of the optical paths.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor further comprises one or more deflectors that affect one or more of the optical paths.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor further comprises one or more deflectors that deflect one or more of the optical carriers in response to the force.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is disposed near the touch-sensitive display.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the touch-sensitive display is depressible.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is disposed between a display and an overlay of the touch-sensitive display.

17. An electronic device comprising:

a touch-sensitive display and a base, the touch-sensitive display being non-flexible in response to a force exerted on the touch-sensitive display;

a first deflector coupled to the base;

a second deflector coupled to the touch-sensitive display, the second deflector to move or deflect toward the first deflector when a force is exerted on the touch-sensitive display;

a sensor comprising a plurality of optical carriers that carry optical signals along an optical path and at least one reference optical carrier that carries reference optical signals that is substantially unaffected by the force, wherein the force exerted on the touch-sensitive display is to cause the second deflector to move toward the first deflector to affect at least one of the optical signals carried along the optical path;

an optical emitter arranged to direct optical signals into the optical carriers;

an optical detector arranged to receive optical signals from the optical carriers and to convert the received optical signals into electrical signals; and

a processor configured to receive the electrical signals and to detect variations in the electrical signals signifying the force exerted on the touch-sensitive display.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to indicate selection of a selection option when variations in the electrical signals meet a threshold.

19. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the touch-sensitive display configured to move as a whole in response to a force exerted on the touch-sensitive display.

20. The electronic device of claim 17, further comprising a reference optical emitter arranged to direct the reference optical signals into the at least one reference optical carrier, wherein the at least one reference optical carrier is not affected when force is exerted on the touch-sensitive display and the second deflector moves toward the first deflector.

21. A method comprising:

directing an optical signal into an optical carrier that is affected when a force is exerted on a rigid touch-sensitive display;

directing a reference optical signal through a reference optical carrier that is not affected when force is exerted on the touch-sensitive display;

identifying a difference between the optical signal and the reference optical signal;

determining that the identified difference meets a threshold; and

in response to the determining, signifying the force imparted on the touch-sensitive display.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the optical carrier and the reference optical carrier comprise wavelength selective optical carriers.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein comparing the optical signal to the reference signal comprises a comparison that is made over time.