Electronic device with strain-based force sensor

• US 10,706,252 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2019
• Issued: 07/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Miller, Thayne M., Bussat, Jean-Marie, Hotelling, Steven P., Cohen, Sawyer I., Cater, Tyler B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Li, Ruiping
• Application Number:
  US16/354,066
• Publication Number:
  US 20190213377A1
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• Field of Search: 382124
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1306 non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/975 using a capacitive movable element
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960755 Constructional details of capacitive touch and proximity switches

Abstract

Input members with capacitive sensors are disclosed. In one embodiment of an electronic button, a first circuit is configured to capture a fingerprint of a user'"'"'s finger placed on the electronic button, and a second circuit is configured to sense a force applied to the electronic button by the user'"'"'s finger. The first circuit is further configured to provide temperature information to compensate for temperature sensitivities of the second circuit, and the second circuit is further configured to provide force information to the first circuit.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

an electronic button, the electronic button comprising;

a rigid body defining a beam and at least one opening adjacent the beam; and

a strain gauge coupled to the rigid body;

wherein at least one portion of the strain gauge is mounted to the beam and sensitive to strain applied to a longitudinal axis of the beam.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the strain gauge comprises a full bridge and defines a T-shape.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a capacitive fingerprint sensor configured to provide a temperature measurement to correct measurements from the strain gauge.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the capacitive fingerprint sensor is positioned on an opposite side of the rigid body from the strain gauge, and further comprising a flex circuit coupled to the capacitive fingerprint sensor through the opening in the rigid body and also coupled to the strain gauge.

5. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the capacitive fingerprint sensor is positioned such that the rigid body provides thermal insulation and electrical shielding between the strain gauge and the capacitive fingerprint sensor.

6. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein components of the capacitive fingerprint sensor are arranged in order to provide a substantially uniform temperature gradient of the capacitive fingerprint sensor adjacent the beam of the rigid body.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic button is not mechanically decoupled from a body of the electronic device.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the rigid body comprises stainless steel.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the strain gauge is configured to be laser trimmed in order to provide electrical matching between two or more portions of the strain gauge.

10. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing including a glass plate;

a capacitive fingerprint sensor disposed under the glass plate;

a rigid body disposed under the capacitive fingerprint sensor and defining a beam; and

a strain gauge coupled to the rigid body;

wherein at least one portion of the strain gauge is mounted to the beam and sensitive to strain applied to a longitudinal axis of the beam.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the strain gauge comprises a set of strain gauge components, electrically coupled in a full bridge.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein strain gauge components of the set of strain gauge components are positioned in a T-shape.

13. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein a circuit comprising the capacitive fingerprint sensor is configured to provide a temperature measurement to correct measurements from the strain gauge.

14. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the capacitive fingerprint sensor is positioned on an opposite side of the rigid body from the strain gauge.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, further comprising:

a flex circuit coupling the capacitive fingerprint sensor to the strain gauge through an opening in the rigid body.

16. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the rigid body provides thermal insulation and electrical shielding between the strain gauge and the capacitive fingerprint sensor.

17. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the rigid body comprises stainless steel.

18. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing including a glass plate;

a capacitive fingerprint sensor disposed under the glass plate;

a rigid body disposed under the capacitive fingerprint sensor and defining an opening;

a strain gauge coupled to the rigid body on an opposite side of the rigid body from the capacitive fingerprint sensor; and

a flex circuit coupling the capacitive fingerprint sensor to the strain gauge through the opening in the rigid body

wherein at least one portion of the strain gauge is configured to sense a force applied to the glass plate above the capacitive fingerprint sensor.

19. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein a circuit comprising the strain gauge is configured to trigger operation of the capacitive fingerprint sensor when the strain gauge generates a measurement indicating an amount of force above a threshold.

20. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein a first circuit comprising the capacitive fingerprint sensor is configured to provide a temperature measurement to a second circuit comprising the strain gauge.