Pressure-sensitive multi-touch device

• US 9,372,588 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2011
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Dietz, Paul, Lutian, John
• Primary Examiner(s): LAMB, CHRISTOPHER RAY
• Application Number:
  US13/111,611
• Publication Number:
  US 20120293448A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,860 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/047 using sets of wires, e.g. crossed wires

Abstract

A pressure-sensitive multi-touch device is provided. The multi-touch device includes a matrix of pressure-sensitive cells, each pressure-sensitive cell configured to change a resistance of the cell inversely proportional to an amount of force applied to that cell. The multi-touch device further includes a force-spreading layer configured to diffuse a force of a touch input at a contact area to two or more pressure-sensitive cells within the matrix of pressure-sensitive cells.

Claims

1. A pressure-sensitive multi-touch device responsive to touch pressure from one or more touch inputs, the multi-touch device comprising:

a series of row conductors arranged on a first layer;

a series of column conductors arranged on a second layer, the series of column conductors opposing and intersecting the series of row conductors to form, at each intersection of row and column conductors, a pressure-sensitive cell, an electrical resistance of each cell inversely related to a force applied to that cell;

materially distinct from the row and column conductors, a series of insulating spacers arranged between the first layer and the second layer to electrically isolate row and column conductors at each intersection to which no touch force is applied, the spacers coupled between dummy islands of the first layer, equal in height to the row conductors, and opposing lands of the second layer, equal in height to the column conductors; and

an elastomeric force-spreading sheet including a flat side and a plurality of bumps opposite the flat side, each bump aligned with a different pressure-sensitive cell and sized and shaped to diffuse the touch force, directed toward the flat side, to two or more of the pressure-sensitive cells.

2. The pressure-sensitive multi-touch device of claim 1, wherein each pressure-sensitive cell is configured to exhibit a decrease in electrical resistance in proportion to the amount of force applied to that cell.

3. The pressure-sensitive multi-touch device of claim 2, wherein each pressure-sensitive cell comprises force-sensitive resistive material deposited on a conductor.

4. The pressure-sensitive multi-touch device of claim 1, wherein each pressure-sensitive cell further comprises force-sensitive resistive material between the column conductor and the row conductor of a given intersection, the force-sensitive resistive material deposited on one or both of the column conductor and the row conductor.

5. The pressure-sensitive multi-touch device of claim 4, wherein the force-sensitive resistive material of each pressure-sensitive cell is configured to exhibit a decrease in electrical resistance in proportion to the amount of force applied to that cell.

6. The pressure-sensitive multi-touch device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of bumps are aligned with cell locations of the matrix of pressure-sensitive cells.

7. The pressure-sensitive multi-touch device of claim 1, wherein the elastomeric force-spreading sheet is configured to diffuse the touch force to two or more pressure-sensitive cells in proportion to the touch force.

8. The pressure-sensitive multi-touch device of claim 1, further comprising:

a logic subsystem configured to execute instructions; and

a data-holding subsystem holding instructions executable by the logic subsystem to interpolate a location of a contact area of a given touch input from an electrical resistance measured at two or more pressure-sensitive cells.

9. The pressure-sensitive multi-touch device of claim 1, wherein the force-spreading sheet is a continuous sheet.

10. The pressure-sensitive multi-touch device of claim 1 wherein the electrical resistance of each cell in the matrix is inversely proportional to the amount of force applied to that cell.

11. A pressure-sensitive multi-touch device configured to detect one or more touch inputs, the multi-touch device comprising:

a matrix of pressure-sensitive cells, including;

a first layer supporting a series of row conductors;

a second layer supporting a series of column conductors, the row conductors opposing and intersecting the column conductors,

force-sensitive resistive material arranged between the row and column conductors at each intersection of a row conductor and a column conductor, the force-sensitive resistive material leaving a gap between the row conductor and the column conductor in absence of applied force, the force-sensitive resistive material decreasing in resistance with increasing force applied to that intersection;

materially distinct from the row and column conductors, a series of insulating spacers arranged between the first layer and the second layer to electrically isolate row and column conductors at each intersection to which no touch force is applied; and

an elastomeric force-spreading sheet including a flat side opposite a curved side having a series of peaks and troughs, each trough aligned with a different insulating spacerpeak aligned with a different pressure-sensitive cell, each peak being sized and shaped to diffuse a force of a touch input directed toward the flat side to two or more pressure-sensitive cells within the matrix of pressure-sensitive cells.

12. The pressure-sensitive multi-touch device of claim 11, wherein the plurality of bumps are aligned with cell locations of the matrix of pressure-sensitive cells.

13. The pressure-sensitive multi-touch device of claim 11, wherein the elastomeric force-spreading sheet is configured to diffuse the force of the touch input to two or more pressure-sensitive cells proportional to an amount of the force of the touch input.

14. The pressure-sensitive multi-touch device of claim 13, wherein the force-spreading sheet is configured to diffuse the force as a function of distance from a contact area of the touch input.

15. The pressure-sensitive multi-touch device of claim 14, wherein the force-spreading sheet is configured to diffuse more force to pressure-sensitive cells proximal to the contact area and to diffuse less force to pressure-sensitive cells farther from the contact area.

16. A pressure-sensitive multi-touch device responsive to touch pressure from one or more touch inputs, the multi-touch device comprising:

a series of row conductors arranged on a first layer;

a series of column conductors arranged on a second layer, the series of column conductors opposing and intersecting the series of row conductors to form, at each intersection of row and column conductors, a pressure-sensitive cell;

force-sensitive resistive material arranged between a portion of each column conductor and an intersecting portion of each row conductor, the force-sensitive resistive material decreasing in electrical resistance in proportion to a force applied to each cell;

materially distinct from the row and column conductors, a series of insulating spacers arranged between the first layer and the second layer to electrically isolate row and column conductors at each intersection to which no touch force is applied;

a continuously elastomeric force-spreading sheet including a flat side opposite a curved side having a series of equally wide rounded peaks and rounded troughs, each peak aligned with a different pressure-sensitive cell and sized and shaped to diffuse a touch force directed toward the flat side to two or more of the pressure-sensitive cells;

a logic subsystem configured to execute instructions; and

a data-holding subsystem holding instructions executable by the logic subsystem to interpolate a location of a contact area of a given touch input from the electrical resistance measured at the two or more pressure-sensitive cells.