Touch pad with force sensors and actuator feedback
First Claim
1. A touch pad, comprising:
- a cover layer forming a touch surface of the touch pad;
a printed circuit board having a capacitive sensor configured to detect a touch input to the cover layer by a user of the touch pad, the capacitive sensor coupled to the cover layer by an adhesive layer;
a set of force sensors positioned below and coupled to the printed circuit board and configured to produce a variable output that corresponds to an amount of force applied to the touch surface when the touch input is received; and
an actuator configured to apply a lateral force to cause the cover layer to shift in plane in response to, and based at least in part, on the amount of force applied to the touch surface when the touch input is received.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Electronic devices may use touch pads that have touch sensor arrays, force sensors, and actuators for providing tactile feedback. A touch pad may be mounted in a computer housing. The touch pad may have a rectangular planar touch pad member that has a glass layer covered with ink and contains a capacitive touch sensor array. Force sensors may be mounted under each of the four corners of the rectangular planar touch pad member. The force sensors may be used to measure how much force is applied to the surface of the planar touch pad member by a user. Processed force sensor signals may indicate the presence of button activity such as press and release events. In response to detected button activity or other activity in the device, actuator drive signals may be generated for controlling the actuator. The user may supply settings to adjust signal processing and tactile feedback parameters.
67 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A touch pad, comprising:
-
a cover layer forming a touch surface of the touch pad; a printed circuit board having a capacitive sensor configured to detect a touch input to the cover layer by a user of the touch pad, the capacitive sensor coupled to the cover layer by an adhesive layer; a set of force sensors positioned below and coupled to the printed circuit board and configured to produce a variable output that corresponds to an amount of force applied to the touch surface when the touch input is received; and an actuator configured to apply a lateral force to cause the cover layer to shift in plane in response to, and based at least in part, on the amount of force applied to the touch surface when the touch input is received. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. An input device, comprising:
-
a cover layer; a capacitive touch sensor array disposed under the cover layer and configured to detect a touch input to the cover layer; an adhesive layer coupling the capacitive touch sensor array to the cover layer; and an array of force sensors positioned below the capacitive touch sensor array and configured to produce a variable output that corresponds to an amount of force applied to the cover layer during the touch input; and a linear actuator configured to cause the cover layer to laterally shift in response to the touch input to provide a haptic output in response to the force applied to the cover layer during the touch input. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. An input device, comprising:
-
a dielectric outer layer; a force-sensitive structure below the dielectric outer layer and comprising; a resilient body; a first electrode disposed on a first surface of the resilient body; and a second electrode disposed on a second surface of the resilient body, positioned opposite to the first electrode, and capacitively coupled to the first electrode; and an actuator coupled to the dielectric outer layer and configured to apply a lateral force to the dielectric outer layer in response to a signal;
wherein in response to a force applied to the dielectric outer layer, the resilient body compresses and a capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode increases in proportion to a magnitude of the force. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification