Disappearing button or slider

• US 9,400,579 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2014
• Issued: 07/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Leung, Omar S., Amm, David T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia, Prabodh M
• Application Number:
  US14/282,375
• Publication Number:
  US 20140253506A1
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 324/669, 361/679.3, 361/679.4, 361/681, 361/752, 340/5, 340/54
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 11/14 with many small apertures
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

An input device is configured to receive input. The input is a deflection based capacitive sensing input. Deflection of a metal fame of the input device causes a change in capacitance that is used to control a function of an electrical device. The input appears invisible because it is made of the same material as the housing it is contained in. Invisible backlit holes may make the input selectively visible or invisible to the user.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a cavity positioned beneath an exterior surface that has selectively visible holes, the cavity separating the exterior surface from an interior surface;

a first capacitive component positioned on an interior area of the exterior surface;

a second capacitive component positioned on the interior surface opposite the first capacitive component;

a light source disposed in the cavity configured to shine through the selectively visible holes when lit; and

a sensor coupled to the first capacitive component and the second capacitive component,

wherein deformation of the exterior surface causes a change in capacitance between the first capacitive element and the second capacitive element that is detected by the sensor.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein deformation of the exterior surface controls at least one function associated with the electronic device.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the exterior surface is formed of a same material as at least one surrounding surface.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the exterior surface is the first capacitive component or the interior surface is the second capacitive component.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the selectively visible holes are invisible to a human eye unless the light source is lit.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein a diameter of each of the selectively visible holes is less than 0.04 millimeters.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the exterior surface includes at least one area without the selectively visible holes.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the exterior surface is formed of aluminum.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the light source is illuminated at least based on one of ambient lighting conditions, change in capacitance between the first capacitive component and the second capacitive component, detected motion, detected sound, or detected heat.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a dielectric medium disposed in the cavity.

11. A method for configuring an electronic device with a selectively visible input, comprising:

positioning a cavity beneath an exterior surface that has selectively visible holes, the cavity separating the exterior surface from an interior surface;

disposing a first capacitive component on an interior area of the exterior surface and a second capacitive element on the interior surface opposite the first capacitive component;

positioning a light source in the cavity configured to shine through the selectively visible holes when lit; and

coupling a sensor to the first capacitive component and the second capacitive component wherein deformation of the exterior surface causes a change in capacitance between the first capacitive element and the second capacitive element that is detected by the sensor.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein deformation of the exterior surface controls at least one function associated with the electronic device.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising forming the exterior surface of a same material as at least one surrounding surface.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one of the exterior surface is the first capacitive component or the interior surface is the second capacitive component.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the selectively visible holes are invisible to a human eye unless the light source is lit.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein a diameter of each of the selectively visible holes is less than 0.04 millimeters.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the exterior surface includes at least one area without the selectively visible holes.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising forming the exterior surface from aluminum.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the light source is illuminated at least based on one of ambient lighting conditions, change in capacitance between the first capacitive component and the second capacitive component, detected motion, detected sound, or detected heat.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising positioning a dielectric medium in the cavity.