Force-sensitive user input interface for an electronic device
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
- receiving, by one or more processors of an electronic device, input signals from multiple sensors located along an edge of the electronic device, the input signals being generated in response to external contact detected by the multiple sensors;
determining, by the one or more processors and based on the input signals, a distribution of forces that were detected by the multiple sensors;
determining, by the one or more processors and based on the determined distribution of forces, a location of the external contact, wherein the location of the external contact is;
i) intermediate at least two adjacent sensors of the multiple sensors, andii) offset from a location of each of the at least two adjacent sensors;
determining, by the one or more processors and based on the determined distribution of forces, a magnitude of a force of the external contact, wherein the electronic device includes a first substrate layer and a second substrate layer that are each disposed between an exterior surface of the electronic device and the multiple sensors, and determining the magnitude of the force of the external contact comprises;
i) normalizing parameter values of the received input signals based on a first deflection property of the first substrate layer, and a second deflection property of the second substrate layer that is different than the first deflection property, andii) determining, based on the normalized parameter values, the magnitude of the force of the external contact;
detecting, by the one or more processors, whether sensing criteria have been satisfied based on an analysis of;
i) the determined location of the external contact, andii) the determined magnitude of the force of the external contact; and
executing, by the one or more processors, responsive to detecting that the sensing criteria have been satisfied, a user input action.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method includes one or more processors of an electronic device receiving signals from multiple sensors located along an edge of the device. The signals are received in response to external contact being provided to the edge of the device. At least one processor determines a distribution of forces applied to the sensors based on the input signals. Based on the determined distribution of forces, the processor determines: i) a location of the external contact that is offset from a location of each of the multiple sensors, and ii) a magnitude of the force of the external contact. The processor detects whether sensing criteria has been satisfied based on an analysis of: i) the location of the external contact and ii) the magnitude of the force of the external contact. Responsive to detecting that sensing criteria has been satisfied, the processor executes a user input action.
89 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
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receiving, by one or more processors of an electronic device, input signals from multiple sensors located along an edge of the electronic device, the input signals being generated in response to external contact detected by the multiple sensors; determining, by the one or more processors and based on the input signals, a distribution of forces that were detected by the multiple sensors; determining, by the one or more processors and based on the determined distribution of forces, a location of the external contact, wherein the location of the external contact is; i) intermediate at least two adjacent sensors of the multiple sensors, and ii) offset from a location of each of the at least two adjacent sensors; determining, by the one or more processors and based on the determined distribution of forces, a magnitude of a force of the external contact, wherein the electronic device includes a first substrate layer and a second substrate layer that are each disposed between an exterior surface of the electronic device and the multiple sensors, and determining the magnitude of the force of the external contact comprises; i) normalizing parameter values of the received input signals based on a first deflection property of the first substrate layer, and a second deflection property of the second substrate layer that is different than the first deflection property, and ii) determining, based on the normalized parameter values, the magnitude of the force of the external contact; detecting, by the one or more processors, whether sensing criteria have been satisfied based on an analysis of; i) the determined location of the external contact, and ii) the determined magnitude of the force of the external contact; and executing, by the one or more processors, responsive to detecting that the sensing criteria have been satisfied, a user input action. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
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receiving, by one or more processors of an electronic device, input signals from multiple sensors located along an edge of the electronic device, the input signals being generated in response to external contact detected by the multiple sensors; determining, by the one or more processors and based on the input signals, a distribution of forces that were detected by the multiple sensors; determining, by the one or more processors and based on the determined distribution of forces, a location of the external contact, wherein the location of the external contact is; i) intermediate at least two adjacent sensors of the multiple sensors, and ii) offset from a location of each of the at least two adjacent sensors; determining, by the one or more processors and based on the determined distribution of forces, a magnitude of a force of the external contact, wherein determining the magnitude of the force of the external contact comprises; i) identifying, based on a signal received from a sensor of the electronic device, a property of a protective housing in which the electronic device is encased, ii) normalizing parameter values of the received input signals based on the property of the protective housing, and iii) determining, based on the normalized parameter values, the magnitude of the force of the external contact; detecting, by the one or more processors, whether sensing criteria have been satisfied based on an analysis of; i) the determined location of the external contact, and ii) the determined magnitude of the force of the external contact, and executing, by the one or more processors, responsive to detecting that the sensing criteria have been satisfied, a user input action. - View Dependent Claims (5)
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6. An electronic system comprising:
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one or more processors; and one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage devices storing instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to cause performance of operations that comprise; receiving, by one or more processors of an electronic device, input signals from multiple sensors located along an edge of the electronic device, the input signals being generated in response to external contact detected by the multiple sensors; determining, by the one or more processors and based on the input signals, a distribution of forces that were detected by the multiple sensors; determining, by the one or more processors and based on the determined distribution of forces, a location of the external contact, wherein the location of the external contact is; i) intermediate at least two adjacent sensors of the multiple sensors, and ii) offset from a location of each of the at least two adjacent sensors; determining, by the one or more processors and based on the determined distribution of forces, a magnitude of a force of the external contact, wherein the electronic device includes a first substrate layer and a second substrate layer that are each disposed between an exterior surface of the electronic device and the multiple sensors, and determining the magnitude of the force of the external contact comprises; i) normalizing parameter values of the received input signals based on a first deflection property of the first substrate layer, and a second deflection property of the second substrate layer that is different than the first deflection property, and ii) determining, based on the normalized parameter values, the magnitude of the force of the external contact; detecting, by the one or more processors, whether sensing criteria have been satisfied based on an analysis of; i) the determined location of the external contact, and ii) the determined magnitude of the force of the external contact; and executing, by the one or more processors, responsive to detecting that the sensing criteria have been satisfied, a user input action. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. An electronic system comprising:
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one or more processors; and one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage devices storing instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to cause performance of operations that comprise; receiving, by one or more processors of an electronic device, input signals from multiple sensors located along an edge of the electronic device, the input signals being generated in response to external contact detected by the multiple sensors; determining, by the one or more processors and based on the input signals, a distribution of forces that were detected by the multiple sensors; determining, by the one or more processors and based on the determined distribution of forces, a location of the external contact, wherein the location of the external contact is; i) intermediate at least two adjacent sensors of the multiple sensors, and ii) offset from a location of each of the at least two adjacent sensors; determining, by the one or more processors and based on the determined distribution of forces, a magnitude of a force of the external contact, wherein determining the magnitude of the force of the external contact comprises; i) identifying, based on a signal received from a sensor of the electronic device, a property of a protective housing in which the electronic device is encased, ii) normalizing parameter values of the received input signals based on the property of the protective housing, and iii) determining, based on the normalized parameter values, the magnitude of the force of the external contact; detecting, by the one or more processors, whether sensing criteria have been satisfied based on an analysis of; i) the determined location of the external contact, and ii) the determined magnitude of the force of the external contact; and executing, by the one or more processors, responsive to detecting that the sensing criteria have been satisfied, a user input action. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
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receiving, by one or more processors of an electronic device, input signals from multiple sensors located along an edge of the electronic device, the input signals being generated in response to external contact detected by the multiple sensors; determining, by the one or more processors and based on the input signals, a distribution of forces that were detected by the multiple sensors, wherein determining the distribution forces comprises generating a distribution profile by executing Gaussian distribution logic to generate a data structure comprising parameter values for input signals generated by the multiple sensors in response to the external contact; determining, by the one or more processors and based on the determined distribution of forces, a location of the external contact, wherein the location of the external contact is; i) offset from a location of each of the multiple sensors; and ii) determined using at least a subset of the parameter values included in the data structure; determining, by the one or more processors and based on the determined distribution of forces, a magnitude of a force of the external contact; detecting, by the one or more processors, whether sensing criteria have been satisfied based on an analysis of; i) the determined location of the external contact, and ii) the determined magnitude of the force of the external contact; and executing, by the one or more processors, responsive to detecting that the sensing criteria have been satisfied, a user input action. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An electronic system comprising:
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one or more processors; and one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage devices storing instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to cause performance of operations comprising; receiving, by one or more processors of an electronic device, input signals from multiple sensors located along an edge of the electronic device, the input signals being generated in response to external contact detected by the multiple sensors; determining, by the one or more processors and based on the input signals, a distribution of forces that were applied to the multiple sensors, wherein determining the distribution forces comprises generating a distribution profile by executing Gaussian distribution logic to generate a data structure comprising parameter values for input signals generated by the multiple sensors in response to the external contact; determining, by the one or more processors and based on the determined distribution of forces, a location of the external contact, wherein the location of the external contact is; i) offset from a location of each of the multiple sensors; and ii) determined using at least a subset of the parameter values included in the data structure; determining, by the one or more processors and based on the determined distribution of forces, a magnitude of a force of the external contact; detecting, by the one or more processors, whether sensing criteria have been satisfied based on an analysis of; i) the determined location of the external contact, ii) the determined magnitude of the force of the external contact, and iii) a time duration of the external contact; and executing, by the one or more processors, responsive to detecting that the sensing criteria have been satisfied, a user input action. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification