DETECTING TOUCH ON A CURVED SURFACE

• US 20100242274A1
• Filed: 06/19/2009
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Jenkins, Kurt Allen, Izadi, Shahram, Benko, Hrvoje, Helmes, John, Westhues, Jonathan, Rosenfeld, Daniel, Villar, Nicolas
• Granted Patent: US 9,317,140 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/848
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0337 Status LEDs integrated in the mouse to provide visual feedback to the user about the status of the input device, the PC, or the user
• 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 2203/04111 Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03541 Mouse/trackball convertible devices, in which the same ball is used to track the 2D relative movement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• 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 3/141 Cushion or mat switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/96 Touch switches specially adapted for electronic time-pieces with no moving parts G04G21/08
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/1071 with electrical and mechanical input and output, e.g. having combined actuator and sensor parts
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/30 with mechanical input and electrical output, e.g. functioning as generators or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/302 Sensors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49124 On flat or curved insulated base, e.g., printed circuit, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49128 Assembling formed circuit to base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 : Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49155 : Manufacturing circuit on or in base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49158 : with molding of insulated base

Abstract

Embodiments are disclosed herein that are related to input devices with curved multi-touch surfaces. For example, in one disclosed embodiment, a method of making a multi-touch input device having a curved touch-sensitive surface comprises forming on a substrate an array of sensor elements defining a plurality of pixels of the multi-touch sensor, forming the substrate into a shape that conforms to a surface of the curved geometric feature of the body of the input device, and fixing the substrate to the curved geometric feature of the body of the input device.

Claims

1. A method of making a multi-touch input device for a computing device, the multi-touch input device comprising a body with a curved geometric feature, and a multi-touch sensor configured to detect touches on a surface of the curved geometric feature, the method comprising:

forming on a substrate an array of sensor elements defining a plurality of pixels of the multi-touch sensor;

forming the substrate into a shape that conforms to a surface of the curved geometric feature of the body of the input device; and

fixing the substrate to the curved geometric feature of the body of the input device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the array of sensor elements comprises a first set of sensor elements formed on a first side of the substrate and a second set of sensor elements formed on a second side of the substrate.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the array of sensor elements comprises forming a first set of sensor elements on a first side of the substrate, forming a dielectric layer over the first set of sensor elements, and then forming a second set of sensor elements over the dielectric layer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the array of sensor elements comprises forming a first set of sensor elements and a second set of sensor elements on a first side of the substrate, forming connectors for the first set of sensor elements, forming an insulating layer over one or more connectors for the first set of sensor elements, and then forming a connector for the second set of sensor elements over each insulating layer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the substrate into the shape that conforms to the curved geometric feature comprises vacuum forming the substrate to form a shaped preform.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein fixing the substrate to the curved geometric feature of the body of the input device comprises placing the preform in a mold, and then molding the preform into the body of the input device during molding of the body.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein fixing the substrate to the curved geometric feature of the body of the input device comprises fixing the substrate to the body of the input device after molding the body of the input device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the array of sensor elements on the substrate comprises printing the array of sensor elements with a polymer conductive ink.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein fixing the substrate to curved geometric feature of the body of the input device comprises fixing the substrate to a body of a computer mouse.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a pressure sensor configured to detect touch pressure over the curved geometric feature of the body of the input device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein forming a pressure sensor comprises placing a piezoresistive material over the array of sensor elements such that the piezoresistive material is in contact with the array of sensor elements.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the array of sensor elements is a first array of sensor elements, and wherein forming a pressure sensor comprises forming a second array of sensor elements, placing a piezoresistive material in contact with the second array of sensor elements to form the pressure sensor, and then fixing the pressure sensor to the curved geometric feature of the body of the input device.

13. A method of making a multi-touch input device for a computing device, the multi-touch input device comprising a body with a curved geometric feature, and a multi-touch sensor configured to detect touches on a surface of the curved geometric feature, the method comprising:

printing onto the surface of the curved geometric feature of the body an array of sensor elements; and

forming a protective layer over the array of sensor elements.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein printing the array of sensor elements comprises pad printing the array of sensor elements.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein printing the array of sensor elements onto the surface of the curved geometric feature of the body comprises printing the array of sensor elements onto a foil, inserting the foil into a mold, and then transferring the array of sensor elements onto the body during molding of the body.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the array of sensor elements is printed with a material that sublimes, and further comprising sublimating the array of sensor elements into the body of the input device.

17. A method of making a multi-touch input device for a computing device, the multi-touch input device comprising a body with a curved geometric feature, and a multi-touch sensor configured to detect touches on a surface of the curved geometric feature, the method comprising:

forming on a substrate via a polymer conductive ink an array of sensor elements defining a plurality of pixels of the multi-touch sensor;

vacuum forming the substrate into a shaped preform that conforms to a surface of the curved geometric feature of the body of the input device; and

fixing the preform to the curved geometric feature of the body of the input device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein fixing the preform to the curved geometric feature of the body of the input device comprises inserting the preform into a mold and then molding the preform into the body of the input device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein fixing the preform to the curved geometric feature of the body of the input device comprises fixing the preform to the body of the input device after forming the body of the input device.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising applying a piezoresistive sheet to the substrate such that the piezoresistive sheet contacts the sensor elements.