Apparatus and method for enabling user input

• US 9,665,197 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2008
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Haffenden, Ian, Robinson, Andrew, Keller, David, Clay, Graham
• Primary Examiner(s): Faragalla, Michael
• Application Number:
  US12/012,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20090189866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,408 Days
• Field of Search: 345173
• 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 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes

Abstract

An apparatus including: a display including an array of picture elements which are configurable to provide information to a user; a first sensor for sensing force applied to the display by the user, the first sensor comprising a substantially transparent conductive member extending over at least a portion of the array of picture elements and configured to be deformable by the user, the first sensor being configured to provide an output associated with the deformation of the conductive member.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first sensor configured to sense force applied to a display by a user, the display including an array of picture elements which are configurable to provide information to the user, the first sensor comprising a substantially transparent conductive member extending over at least a portion of the array of picture elements and configured to be deformable by the user, the first sensor being configured to provide an output associated with the deformation of the conductive member; and

a second sensor, being a capacitive touch sensor configured to sense the position of an input to the display by the user and to provide an output associated with the sensed position of the user input,

wherein the conductive member of the first sensor is configured to provide a ground plane for the capacitive touch sensor, and wherein the spacing between sections of the conductive member is smaller than the wavelength of electromagnetic waves emitted from within the apparatus.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to receive the output from the first sensor, the controller being configured to recognize the force applied to the display as a user input if the output from the first sensor is above a predetermined threshold.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to receive the output from the first sensor, the controller being configured to variably control a graphical user interface displayed on the display dependent on the output received from the first sensor.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conductive member of the first sensor is positionable where the user is most likely to provide a force to the array of picture elements of the display.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conductive member of the first sensor is arranged to extend over substantially all of the picture elements of the display.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conductive member comprises indium tin oxide.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conductive member comprises a conductive polymer.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first sensor is a strain gauge sensor.

9. A portable electronic device comprising the apparatus as claimed in claim 1.

10. A module comprising an apparatus as claimed in claim 1.

20. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a display including the array of picture elements which are configurable to provide information to a user.

22. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conductive member is a conductive track arranged in a serpentine configuration.

23. An apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein the spacing between sections of the conductive track is smaller than the wavelength of electromagnetic waves emitted by an antenna arrangement of the apparatus.

11. A method comprising:

providing a first sensor configured to sense force applied to a display by a user, the first sensor comprising a substantially transparent conductive member, the display including an array of picture elements which are configurable to provide information to the user;

arranging the conductive member to extend over at least a portion of the array of picture elements and configured to be deformable by the user, the first sensor being configured to provide an output associated with the deformation of the conductive member;

providing a second sensor, being a capacitive touch sensor configured to sense the position of an input to the display by the user and for providing an output associated with the sensed position of the user input; and

wherein the conductive member of the first sensor is configured to provide a ground plane for the capacitive touch sensor, and wherein the spacing between sections of the conductive member is smaller than the wavelength of electromagnetic waves emitted from within the apparatus.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising providing a controller for receiving the output from the first sensor;

and configuring the controller to recognize the force applied to the display as a user input if the output from the first sensor is above a predetermined threshold.

13. A method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising providing a controller for receiving the output from the first sensor, configuring the controller to variably control a graphical user interface displayed on the display dependent on the output received from the first sensor.

14. A method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising positioning the conductive member of the first sensor to where the user is most likely to provide a force to the array of picture elements of the display.

15. A method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising arranging the conductive member of the first sensor to extend over substantially all of the picture elements of the display.

16. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the conductive member comprises indium tin oxide.

17. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the conductive member comprises a conductive polymer.

18. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first sensor is a strain gauge sensor.

21. A method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising providing a display including the array of picture elements which are configurable to provide information to a user.

19. An apparatus comprising:

a display means;

including an array of picture elements, for providing information to a user;

a first sensor means for sensing force applied to the display by the user, the first sensor means comprising a substantially transparent conductive member extending over at least a portion of the array of picture elements and configured to be deformable by the user, the first sensor means for providing an output associated with the deformation of the conductive member;

a second sensor means, being a capacitive touch sensor means for sensing the position of an input to the display means by the user and for providing an output associated with the sensed position of the user input; and

wherein the conductive member of the first sensor means is configured to provide a ground plane for the capacitive touch sensor means, and wherein the spacing between sections of the conductive member is smaller than the wavelength of electromagnetic waves emitted from within the apparatus.