Touch-sensitive button with two levels

• US 9,904,410 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2016
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bokma, Louis W., Fisher, Jr., Joseph R., Vora, Saket
• Primary Examiner(s): OLSON, JASON C
• Application Number:
  US15/207,234
• Publication Number:
  US 20160320906A1
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 345173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3262 Power saving in digitizer or tablet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• 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 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• 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: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2017/9615 using three electrodes per touch switch
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960755 Constructional details of capacitive touch and proximity switches

Abstract

A touch-sensitive depressible button with multiple depression thresholds is provided. When the button is depressed to a first depression threshold, the touch sensor can be switched from a low-power, non-sensing state to a sensing state. When the button is depressed to a second depression threshold, the touch sensor can sense the touch context and input can be generated based on the depression and the touch context. In this way, the touch-sensitive depressible button with multiple depression thresholds can facilitate timely switching of the touch sensor to a sensing state.

Claims

1. A touch sensitive button, comprising:

a touch sensor array for detecting input events;

an actuator coupled with the touch sensor array; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the touch sensor array and the actuator, the processor capable of placing the touch sensor array in a low-power state when no touch of the button is detected by the actuator;

wherein the processor is further capable of switching the touch sensor array from the low-power state to an active scan state when a touch of the button is detected by the actuator.

2. The touch sensitive button of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises an electrode, the electrode configured for changing at least one parameter when an object touches the button.

3. The touch sensitive button of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a self-capacitive actuator configured for changing its self-capacitance to ground when an object touches the button.

4. The touch sensitive button of claim 1, further comprising a dome switch for detecting a threshold amount of force being applied to the button.

5. The touch sensitive button of claim 1, the processor further capable of scanning the touch sensor array to detect one or more touches of one or more objects when the touch sensor array is switched to the active scan state.

6. The touch sensitive button of claim 5, the processor further capable of performing a series of scans of the touch sensor array to detect one or more positions of the one or more touches.

7. The touch sensitive button of claim 5, the processor further capable of detecting a shape of the one or more touches.

8. The touch sensitive button of claim 5, the processor further capable of performing an identification of the one or more objects.

9. The touch sensitive button of claim 1 incorporated within a computing system.

10. A method for generating input from a touch sensitive button, comprising:

placing a touch sensor array in a low-power state when no touch of the button is detected by an actuator;

switching the touch sensor array from the low-power state to an active scan state when a touch of the button is detected by the actuator; and

detecting input events at the touch sensor array when the touch sensor array is switched to the active scan state.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the actuator comprises an electrode, the method further comprising changing at least one parameter of the electrode and detecting the change in the parameter when an object touches the button.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the actuator comprises a self-capacitive actuator, the method further comprising changing a self-capacitance to ground of the actuator and detecting the change in self-capacitance when an object touches the button.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising detecting a threshold amount of force being applied to the button and initiating an operation when the threshold amount of force is detected.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising scanning the touch sensor array to detect one or more touches of one or more objects when the touch sensor array is switched to the active scan state.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising performing a series of scans of the touch sensor array to detect one or more positions of the one or more touches when the touch sensor array is switched to the active scan state.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising detecting a shape of the one or more touches.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising performing an identification of the one or more objects.