Input device sensor configuration

• US 9,952,106 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2016
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Shaw, Timothy C., Ribeiro, Flavio P., Covington, Glennis E., Gadke, Christian C., Wu, Xuezhong, Martin, Bradley R., Zant, Francie Judith, Mail, Scott M., Marshall, James C.
• Primary Examiner(s): HONG, RICHARD J
• Application Number:
  US15/283,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20170023418A1
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/146 for measuring force distributions, e.g. using force arrays G01L1/148 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1669 Detachable keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices
• 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 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• 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 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04144 using an array of force sensing means position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells G06F3/0447
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive 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: H01H 13/702 with contacts carried by or formed from layers in a multilayer structure, e.g. membrane switches
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/83 characterised by legends, e.g. Braille, liquid crystal displays, light emitting or optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2211/012 Successive layers, one being conductive
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2211/032 Pressure sensitive layer on contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/028 Printed information
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/03 in transparent keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/062 Light conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/002 integral with membrane
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/05 Force concentrator; Actuating dimple

Abstract

Input device configurations are described. In implementations, an input device includes a sensor substrate having a capacitive sensor to detect proximity of an object that contacts the input device. The input device also includes a flexible contact layer spaced apart from the sensor substrate, where the flexible contact layer is implemented to flex and contact the sensor substrate responsive to pressure applied by the object to initiate an input to a computing device. The flexible contact layer can include a force concentrator pad that is designed to cause pressure to be channeled through the force concentrator pad to cause the flexible contact layer to contact the sensor substrate to initiate the input.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

a sensor substrate having pressure sensor nodes and capacitive sensor nodes configured to detect proximity of an object that contacts the input device, the pressure sensor nodes interspersed with the capacitive sensor nodes, the pressure sensor nodes configured to conserve power in a non-operational state prior to being placed in an operational state responsive to the capacitive sensor nodes detecting the proximity of the object; and

a flexible contact layer spaced apart from the sensor substrate, the flexible contact layer configured to flex and contact the sensor substrate responsive to pressure applied by the object to initiate an input to a computing device.

2. The input device as recited in claim 1, wherein the flexible contact layer includes a force concentrator pad configured to cause pressure to be channeled through the force concentrator pad to cause the flexible contact layer to contact the sensor substrate to initiate the input.

3. The input device as recited in claim 1, wherein the capacitive sensor nodes are configured to detect the proximity of the object before the object contacts the input device to initiate the input.

4. The input device as recited in claim 1, wherein the input to the computing device is initiated based on at least one of a capacitive sensor node detecting the proximity of the object, the pressure applied by the object on the sensor substrate, or an input force applied to the flexible contact layer.

5. The input device as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least two conductors that include one of the capacitive sensor nodes and one of the pressure sensor nodes, wherein the one pressure sensor node is configured to detect a force of the object that contacts the input device to initiate the input to the computing device.

6. The input device as recited in claim 5, wherein the one pressure sensor node of the at least two conductors is placed in the operational state in response to the one capacitive sensor node detecting the proximity of the object.

7. The input device as recited in claim 6, wherein the sensor substrate includes the at least two conductors formed as inter-digitated trace fingers that form the input based on the pressure applied by the object.

8. The input device as recited in claim 1, wherein the flexible contact layer includes a force concentrator pad configured to transfer pressure causing the flexible contact layer to contact the sensor substrate with a uniformly distributed contact pressure.

9. The input device as recited in claim 8, wherein the pressure is applied to the force concentrator pad through an off-center key strike and the force concentrator pad is configured to channel the pressure to initiate the input.

10. An input device comprising:

a sensor assembly including a plurality of sensor nodes formed in an array, formation of the plurality of sensor nodes including;

a sensor substrate having conductors that include pressure sensors and capacitive sensors formed in the array of the pressure sensors interspersed with the capacitive sensors, the capacitive sensors configured to detect proximity of an object that contacts the input device while the pressure sensors conserve power in a non-operational state; and

a flexible contact layer spaced apart from the sensor substrate, the flexible contact layer configured to flex and contact the sensor substrate to initiate an input to a computing device.

11. The input device as recited in claim 10, wherein the sensor nodes include force concentrator pads each configured to cause pressure to be channeled through the force concentrator pad to cause the flexible contact layer to contact the sensor substrate to initiate the input.

12. The input device as recited in claim 10, wherein the capacitive sensors are configured to detect the proximity of the object before the object contacts the input device to initiate the input.

13. The input device as recited in claim 10, wherein the input to the computing device is initiated based on at least one of the capacitive sensors detecting the proximity of the object, a pressure applied by the object on the sensor substrate, or an input force applied to the flexible contact layer.

14. The input device as recited in claim 13, wherein the flexible contact layer includes force concentrator pads configured to transfer pressure causing the flexible contact layer to contact the sensor substrate with a uniformly distributed contact pressure.

15. The input device as recited in claim 10, wherein the pressure sensors are placed in an operational state in response to the capacitive sensors detecting the proximity of the object.

16. The input device as recited in claim 10, wherein each of the conductors is a combination of a pressure sensor and a capacitive sensor.

17. A method comprising:

detecting proximity of an object with capacitive sensor nodes of a sensor substrate of an input device, the sensor substrate including pressure sensor nodes interspersed with the capacitive sensor nodes;

contacting the sensor substrate with a flexible contact layer of the input device, the flexible contact layer spaced apart from the sensor substrate and configured to flex and contact the sensor substrate responsive to pressure applied by the object to initiate an input to a computing device; and

conserving power with the pressure sensor nodes of the sensor substrate in a non-operational state prior to the capacitive sensor nodes said detecting the proximity of the object.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising channeling pressure through a force concentrator pad of the flexible contact layer, the channeling the pressure causing the flexible contact layer said contacting the sensor substrate initiating the input.

19. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising placing the pressure sensor nodes in an operational state responsive to said detecting the proximity of the object with the capacitive sensor nodes.

20. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein said detecting the proximity of the object comprises detecting the proximity before the object contacts the input device to initiate the input.