Touch pad with force sensors and actuator feedback
First Claim
1. A track pad that receives input from an external object, the track pad comprising:
- a touch pad member having a touch pad sensor array that gathers touch sensor array signals indicative of a given location at which the external object has touched the touch pad member;
a plurality of force sensors each of which is connected to the touch pad member at a different location, wherein the force sensors produce force output signals indicative of how forcefully the external object is pressing on the touch pad member;
wherein touch events are registered based on the touch sensor array signals, wherein the force output signals are compared to a threshold to identify press events, and wherein the touch events are registered while the force output signals are below the threshold and while the force output signals are above the threshold; and
an actuator that laterally actuates the touch pad member.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Electronic devices may use touch pads that have touch sensor arrays, force sensors, and actuators for providing tactile feedback. A touch pad may be mounted in a computer housing. The touch pad may have a rectangular planar touch pad member that has a glass layer covered with ink and contains a capacitive touch sensor array. Force sensors may be mounted under each of the four corners of the rectangular planar touch pad member. The force sensors may be used to measure how much force is applied to the surface of the planar touch pad member by a user. Processed force sensor signals may indicate the presence of button activity such as press and release events. In response to detected button activity or other activity in the device, actuator drive signals may be generated for controlling the actuator. The user may supply settings to adjust signal processing and tactile feedback parameters.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A track pad that receives input from an external object, the track pad comprising:
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a touch pad member having a touch pad sensor array that gathers touch sensor array signals indicative of a given location at which the external object has touched the touch pad member; a plurality of force sensors each of which is connected to the touch pad member at a different location, wherein the force sensors produce force output signals indicative of how forcefully the external object is pressing on the touch pad member;
wherein touch events are registered based on the touch sensor array signals, wherein the force output signals are compared to a threshold to identify press events, and wherein the touch events are registered while the force output signals are below the threshold and while the force output signals are above the threshold; andan actuator that laterally actuates the touch pad member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of operating an electronic device having a display and a computer track pad that has a touch pad member with a touch sensor array, force sensors connected to the touch pad member, and an actuator, the method comprising:
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with the touch sensor array, determining a location of an external object in contact with the touch pad member of the track pad and registering a touch event; with each of the force sensors, measuring how much force is applied to the touch pad member of the track pad with the external object and identifying a press event by comparing a force output signal of the force sensors with a force threshold; and with the actuator, imparting global movement to the touch pad member of the track pad based at least partly on data gathered with the force sensors, wherein the touch event is registered while the force output signal is below the force threshold and while the force output signal is above the force threshold. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A computer track pad system, comprising:
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a rigid rectangular touch pad member that includes a capacitive touch sensor array and that has four corners, wherein the rigid rectangular touch pad member is opaque; four force sensors, each force sensor being coupled to a respective one of the four corners; at least one actuator that is connected to an edge of the rigid rectangular touch pad member by a coupling member and that imparts movement to all of the rigid rectangular touch pad member in response to actuator drive signals; and circuitry that processes touch sensor data from the capacitive touch sensor array and analog force data from the force sensors and that produces the actuator drive signals for the actuator based on the touch sensor data from the capacitive touch sensor array and based on the analog force data from the force sensors. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification