Shear force detection using capacitive sensors
First Claim
1. An input device comprising:
- a first substrate comprising an array of sensor electrodes configured to sense input objects in a sensing region overlapping an input surface of the input device;
a second substrate physically coupled to the first substrate and configured to move relative to the first substrate in a lateral direction and a vertical direction;
a first force sensor comprising a first force sensor electrode disposed on the first substrate and a first conductive portion disposed on the second substrate, the first force sensor electrode and the first conductive portion forming a first variable capacitance; and
a second force sensor comprising a second force sensor electrode disposed on the first substrate and a second conductive portion disposed on the second substrate, the second force sensor electrode and the second conductive portion forming a second variable capacitance,wherein, in response to vertical motion of the first substrate relative to the second substrate, the first variable capacitance and the second variable capacitance change,wherein, in response to lateral motion of the first substrate relative to the second substrate in a first direction, the first variable capacitance changes and the second variable capacitance remains substantially constant, andwherein, in response to lateral motion of the first substrate relative to the second substrate in a second direction, perpendicular to the first direction, the second variable capacitance changes and the first variable capacitance remains substantially constant.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An input device having a sensing region overlapping an input surface includes a first substrate, a second substrate physically coupled to the first substrate, and a sensor electrode disposed on the first substrate and configured to detect input objects in the sensing region. A first force sensor includes a first electrode disposed on the first substrate and a first conductive portion of the second substrate capacitively coupled with the first electrode. The first conductive portion is configured to move relative to the first electrode such that a first variable capacitance of the first force sensor changes in response to force applied to the input surface in a first direction parallel to the touch surface.
61 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An input device comprising:
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a first substrate comprising an array of sensor electrodes configured to sense input objects in a sensing region overlapping an input surface of the input device; a second substrate physically coupled to the first substrate and configured to move relative to the first substrate in a lateral direction and a vertical direction; a first force sensor comprising a first force sensor electrode disposed on the first substrate and a first conductive portion disposed on the second substrate, the first force sensor electrode and the first conductive portion forming a first variable capacitance; and a second force sensor comprising a second force sensor electrode disposed on the first substrate and a second conductive portion disposed on the second substrate, the second force sensor electrode and the second conductive portion forming a second variable capacitance, wherein, in response to vertical motion of the first substrate relative to the second substrate, the first variable capacitance and the second variable capacitance change, wherein, in response to lateral motion of the first substrate relative to the second substrate in a first direction, the first variable capacitance changes and the second variable capacitance remains substantially constant, and wherein, in response to lateral motion of the first substrate relative to the second substrate in a second direction, perpendicular to the first direction, the second variable capacitance changes and the first variable capacitance remains substantially constant. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An input device comprising:
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an array of sensor electrodes disposed on a first substrate; a second substrate physically coupled to the first substrate, wherein in response to a force applied to the first substrate, the first substrate is configured to move in a lateral and vertical direction with respect to the first substrate; a first force sensor electrode, a second force sensor electrode and a first force transmitter electrode disposed on the first substrate; and a processing system communicatively coupled to the array of sensor electrodes, the first force sensor electrode, the second force sensor electrode, and the first force transmitter electrode, the processing system is configured to; determine positional information for input objects in a sensing region of the input device using the array of sensor electrodes; drive a sensing signal onto the first force transmitter electrode; receive a first resulting signal from the first force sensor electrode, the first resulting signal comprising effects of the sensing signal driven onto the first force transmitter electrode; receive a second resulting signal from the second force sensor electrode, the second resulting signal comprising effects of the sensing signal driven onto the first force transmitter electrode; determine a first variable capacitance based on the first resulting signal, wherein the first variable capacitance changes in response to lateral motion in a first direction and a vertical motion of the first substrate relative to a conductive portion of the second substrate; determine a second variable capacitance based on the second resulting signal, wherein the second variable capacitance changes only in response to the vertical motion of the first substrate relative to the conductive portion of the second substrate; and determine the lateral force in the first direction and the vertical force applied by an input object to the first substrate based on the first variable capacitance and the second variable capacitance. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A processing system for an input device, the input device comprising a plurality of sensor electrodes disposed on a first substrate, a second substrate mechanically coupled to the first substrate and configured to move laterally and vertically with respect to the first substrate, a first force sensor electrode, a second force sensor electrode, and a first force transmitter electrode disposed on the first substrate, the processing system comprising:
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a sensor module comprising sensor circuitry, the sensor module configured to; operate the plurality of sensor electrodes disposed on the first substrate to capacitively detect input objects in a sensing region of the input device; transmit a sensing signal onto the first force transmitter electrode; receive a first resulting signal from the first force sensor electrode, the first resulting signal comprising effects of the sensing signal transmitted onto the first force transmitter electrode; and receive a second resulting signal from the second force sensor electrode, the second resulting signal comprising effects of the sensing signal transmitted onto the first force transmitter electrode; and wherein the processing system is configured to; determine positional information for the input objects in the sensing region of the input device; determine a first variable capacitance based on the first resulting signal, wherein the first variable capacitance changes in response to lateral motion in a first direction and vertical motion of the first force sensor electrode relative to a first conductive portion of the second substrate; determine a second variable capacitance based on the second resulting signal, wherein the second variable capacitance changes in response to only vertical motion of the second force sensor electrode relative to the first conductive portion of the second substrate; and determine a lateral force applied in the first direction and vertical force applied to the second substrate by the input objects based on the first variable capacitance and the second variable capacitance. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification