Method and apparatus for sensing touch

• US 9,678,591 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2014
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford Management Co.)
• Original Assignee: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford Management Co.)
• Inventors: Nikoozadeh, Amin, Khuri-Yakub, Butrus T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mercedes, Dismery
• Application Number:
  US14/300,033
• Publication Number:
  US 20140362013A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1172 using fingerprinting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07 with integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1306 non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure are directed towards methods, systems, and apparatuses that include a pressure-sensor arrangement including a plate structure and a plurality or array of pressure-sensor cells. Additionally, the methods, systems, and apparatuses include integrated circuitry communicatively coupled to the pressure-sensor arrangement that senses pressure changes exhibited by changes in capacitance or vibrational characteristics.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a pressure-sensor arrangement including a plate structure and a plurality or array of pressure-sensor cells, with the plate structure anchored around edges of the plurality or array of pressure-sensor cells;

integrated circuitry communicatively coupled to the pressure-sensor arrangement and configured and arranged to provide capacitance and to sense pressure changes exhibited by changes in the capacitance or in vibration due to dampening, the integrated circuitry including separate signal paths for each of the plurality or array of pressure-sensor cells; and

the plurality of pressure-sensor cells and the plate structure being configured and arranged to detect changes in capacitance or in vibration in the pressure-sensor arrangement due to dampening, via the separate signal paths, in response to a touch event at or near the plate structure as caused by a single touch, wherein the pressure-sensor arrangement is configured and arranged to include the separate signal paths for each of the respective pressure-sensor cells to provide an indication of the touch event at or near the plate structure.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the single touch is caused by a stylus having a plurality of surface irregularities at the tip of the stylus, and wherein the pressure-sensor arrangement is configured and arranged with the separate signal paths so that each of the respective pressure-sensor cells provides an indication of a change in pressure in response to the touch event at or near the plate structure in order to sense different ones of the plurality of surface irregularities.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the single touch is caused by a finger of a user, and the changes in capacitance are indicative of one or more of heart rate, breathing rate and temperature of the user.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the single touch is caused by a finger of a user, and the changes in capacitance are indicative of blood flow of the user.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the single touch is caused by a finger of a user, and the changes in capacitance are indicative of tracks of blood vessels of the finger.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the single touch is caused by a finger of a user, and the changes in capacitance are indicative of one or more of heart rate, breathing rate and temperature of the user, and the integrated circuitry is further configured and arranged to confirm identity of the user based on at least one of the heart rate, the breathing rate and the temperature of the user.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a touch surface provided over the plurality of pressure-sensor cells and the plate structure, the touch surface being provided across an area at least sufficient to allow a single touch, including multiple fingers or a user'"'"'s palm, to contact the touch surface.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the single touch is caused by at least one finger of a user, and the changes in capacitance are indicative of one or more of heart rate, breathing rate and temperature of the user, and the integrated circuitry is further configured and arranged to confirm identity of the user based on at least one of the heart rate, the breathing rate and the temperature of the user.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the single touch is caused by a user'"'"'s palm, and the changes in capacitance are indicative of one or more of heart rate, breathing rate and temperature of the user, and the integrated circuitry is further configured and arranged to confirm identity of the user based on at least one of the heart rate, the breathing rate and the temperature of the user.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a pressure-sensor arrangement including a plate structure and a plurality or array of pressure-sensor cells, with the plate structure being anchored around edges of the plurality or array of pressure-sensor cells;

integrated circuitry communicatively coupled to the pressure-sensor arrangement and configured and arranged to sense pressure changes exhibited by changes in capacitance, the integrated circuitry including separate signal paths for each of the plurality or array of pressure-sensor cells; and

the plurality of pressure-sensor cells and the plate structure being configured and arranged to provide different changes in capacitance, via the separate signal paths, in response to a touch event at or near the plate structure as caused by a single touch, wherein the pressure-sensor arrangement is configured and arranged to include the separate signal paths for each of the respective pressure-sensor cells to provide an indication of a change in pressure in response to the touch event at or near the plate structure as caused by the single touch.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the single touch is a finger, and the pressure-sensor arrangement is configured and arranged to include at least several pressure-sensor cells wherein the separate signal paths for each of the respective pressure-sensor cells provides an indication of a change in pressure in response to the touch event at or near the plate structure in order to sense a plurality of ridges in the finger.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a pressure-sensor arrangement including a plate structure and a plurality or array of pressure-sensor cells;

integrated circuitry communicatively coupled to the pressure-sensor arrangement and configured and arranged to sense pressure changes exhibited by changes in capacitance, the integrated circuitry including separate signal paths for each of the plurality or array of pressure-sensor cells;

the plurality of pressure-sensor cells and the plate structure being configured and arranged to provide different changes in capacitance, via the separate signal paths, in response, to a touch event at or near the plate structure as caused by a single touch, with the plate structure anchored around edges of the plurality or array of pressure-sensor cells, and

a touch screen in which the plate structure is configured and arranged to deflect in response to a touch event.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the plate structure is further configured and arranged to detect sufficient ridges in a fingerprint for differentiating between ridge spacing along at least one direction.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the plate structure is further configured and arranged to detect sufficient ridges in a fingerprint for differentiating between ridge spacing along at least two directions.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a pressure-sensor arrangement including a plate structure and a plurality or array of pressure-sensor cells, with the plate structure anchored around edges of the plurality or array of pressure-sensor cells;

integrated circuitry communicatively coupled to the pressure-sensor arrangement and configured and arranged to sense pressure changes exhibited by changes in vibration characteristics, the integrated circuitry including separate signal paths for each of the plurality or array of pressure-sensor cells; and

the plurality of pressure-sensor cells and the plate structure being configured and arranged to provide different changes in vibration characteristics, via the separate signal paths, in response to a touch event at or near the plate structure as caused by a single touch, wherein the changes in vibration characteristics are indicative of one or more of heart rate of a user, breathing rate of the user, physical touch by the user and temperature of the user, and the integrated circuitry is further configured and arranged to generate a signal representing the changes in vibration characteristics.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the single touch is caused by a finger of a user.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the single touch is caused by at least one finger of a user, and the changes in vibration characteristics are indicative of one or more of heart rate, breathing rate and temperature of the user, and the integrated circuitry is further configured and arranged to confirm identity of the user based on at least one of the heart rate, the breathing rate and the temperature of the user.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the signal representing the changes in vibration characteristics includes information for identifying the user.

19. A method comprising:

providing a pressure-sensor arrangement including a plate structure and a plurality or array of pressure-sensor cells, with the plate structure being anchored around edges of the plurality or array of pressure-sensor cells;

providing integrated circuitry communicatively coupled to the pressure-sensor arrangement and configured and arranged to sense pressure changes exhibited by changes in capacitance or vibration characteristics, the integrated circuitry including separate signal paths for each of the plurality or array of pressure-sensor cells; and

in response to a touch event at or near the plate structure as caused by a single touch, determining different changes in capacitance or vibration characteristics, via the separate signal paths and the plurality of pressure-sensor cells and the plate structure, wherein the single touch is caused by at least one finger of a user, and the changes in vibration characteristics are indicative of one or more of heart rate, breathing rate and temperature of the user, and the integrated circuitry is further configured and arranged to generate a signal representing the changes in vibration characteristics.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the integrated circuitry is further configured and arranged to confirm identity of the user based on at least one of the heart rate, the breathing rate and the temperature of the user.