Proximity edge sensing

• US 9,715,301 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2015
• Issued: 07/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Kuboyama, Yuta, Shuma, Richard D., Garg, Vikram
• Primary Examiner(s): HICKS, CHARLES V
• Application Number:
  US14/817,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20170038877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• 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 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04113 Peripheral electrode pattern in resistive digitisers, i.e. electrodes at the periphery of the resistive sheet are shaped in patterns enhancing linearity of induced field
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

In various implementations, a sensor operates in a force sensing mode by determining an applied force based on a first change in capacitance between first and second electrodes related to compression of a compressible material positioned between while the third electrode functions as a shield and in a proximity sensing mode by sensing proximity of an object based on a second change in capacitance of the third electrode while the first and/or second electrodes function as a shield. In some implementations, a device has a cover glass including a surface having a display area, an edge surface, and a cavity; a touch sensing electrode oriented toward the surface; an electrode positioned in the cavity oriented toward the edge surface; and a processing unit operable to detect touch or proximity of an object to the edge surface based on a change in capacitance between the electrode and the object.

Claims

1. A combined proximity and force sensor, comprising:

a first electrode;

a second electrode;

a compressible material separating the first and the second electrodes; and

a third electrode coupled to the first electrode and positioned so that the first electrode is between the second electrode and the third electrode;

wherein the combined proximity and force sensor is operable to;

produce a first change in capacitance between the first and the second electrodes related to compression of the compressible material while the third electrode functions as a force sensing ground shield, the first change in capacitance usable by a processing unit to determine an applied force; and

produce a second change in capacitance of the third electrode while the first electrode functions as a proximity ground shield, the second change in capacitance usable by the processing unit to sense proximity of an object.

2. The combined proximity and force sensor of claim 1, further comprising a fourth electrode wherein the second change in capacitance is a change in mutual capacitance between the third electrode and the fourth electrode.

3. The combined proximity and force sensor of claim 2, wherein the fourth electrode is disposed on at least one of:

a cavity formed partially into a cover glass of an electronic device, the electronic device incorporating the combined proximity and force sensor;

or

an input mechanism of the electronic device.

4. The combined proximity and force sensor of claim 1, wherein the third electrode comprises multiple third electrodes positioned at select locations around a perimeter of a cover glass of an electronic device and the combined proximity and force sensor is operable to produce changes in capacitance of each of the multiple third electrodes separately.

5. The combined proximity and force sensor of claim 1, wherein the second electrode functions as an additional proximity ground shield while the combined proximity and force sensor produces the second change in capacitance.

6. The combined proximity and force sensor of claim 1, wherein the combined proximity and force sensor is positioned between a cover glass and a housing of an electronic device to function as a gasket.

7. The combined proximity and force sensor of claim 1, wherein the proximity of the object is to an input mechanism of an electronic device, wherein the input mechanism is adjacent to the combined proximity and force sensor.

8. The combined proximity and force sensor of claim 1, wherein the combined proximity and force sensor produces the first and second changes in capacitance at different times.

9. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

a cover glass positioned adjacent to the housing, the cover glass including;

a cover glass surface having a display area;

a cover glass edge surface; and

a cavity formed partially into the cover glass opposite the cover glass surface apart from the display area;

a capacitive touch sensing electrode positioned on the cover glass opposite the cover glass surface in the display area, oriented toward the cover glass surface;

an additional electrode positioned in the cavity, oriented toward the cover glass edge surface; and

a processing unit connected to the additional electrode that is operable to detect touch or proximity of an object to the cover glass edge surface based on a change in capacitance between the additional electrode and the object.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the additional electrode is laminated to a flexible circuit positioned in the cavity.

11. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the additional electrode is disposed on a non-conductive structure that is adhered to the cavity.

12. The electronic device of claim 9, further comprising an antenna element positioned in the cavity wherein the additional electrode is disposed on a support structure of the antenna element positioned in the cavity.

13. The electronic device of claim 9, further comprising an opaque material positioned in the cavity wherein the additional electrode is positioned on the opaque material.

14. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the additional electrode comprises at least one of conductive paste, sputter conductor, indium tin oxide, or metal foil applied to the opaque material.

15. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the additional electrode comprises multiple electrodes and the electronic device is operable to detect touch of an area corresponding to or proximity to one of the multiple electrodes based on a change in capacitance of the respective electrode.

16. A method of controlling a combined proximity and force sensor, comprising:

operating the combined proximity and force sensor in a force sensing mode by determining an applied force based on a first change in capacitance between a first electrode and a second electrode of the combined proximity and force sensor while using a third electrode of the combined proximity and force sensor as a force sensing ground shield;

operating the combined proximity and force sensor in a proximity sensing mode by sensing proximity of an object based on a second change in capacitance of the third electrode while using the first electrode as a proximity sensing ground shield; and

switching the combined proximity and force sensor between the proximity sensing mode and the force sensing mode.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said switching the combined proximity and force sensor between the proximity sensing mode and the force sensing mode comprises:

performing combined proximity and force sensing cycles wherein a portion of each proximity and force sensing cycle comprises operating for a first period of time in the force sensing mode and a second period of time in the proximity sensing mode.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising changing a displayed element of a user interface based on the sensed proximity.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the sensed proximity is to an input mechanism and the displayed element of the user interface is alterable by manipulating the input mechanism.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising initiating an action based on a combination of the sensed proximity and a detected touch input.