Input device haptics and pressure sensing

• US 9,448,631 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2015
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Winter, Andrew E., Cox, Brian Rush, Ginn, Launnie K. E., Whitt, David Otto III, Fitz-Coy, Aric A., Picciotto, Carl E., Yun, Gahn Gavyn, Nelson, John Jacob
• Primary Examiner(s): Lubit, Ryan A
• Application Number:
  US14/698,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20150227207A1
• Time in Patent Office: 511 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface

Abstract

Input device haptics and pressure sensing techniques are described. An input device includes an outer surface, a pressure sensor and haptic feedback mechanism, and a pressure sensing and haptic feedback module. The outer surface is configured to receive an application of pressure by an object. The pressure sensor and haptic feedback mechanism has one or more piezos configured to detect and quantify an amount of the application of the pressure to the outer surface by the object, the one or more piezos configured to output a signal indicating the quantified amount of the pressure. The pressure sensing and haptic feedback module is configured to receive the signal from the one or more piezos indicating the quantified amount of the pressure and control the haptic feedback of the pressure sensor and haptic feedback mechanism.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

an outer surface configured to receive an application of pressure by an object;

a pressure sensor and haptic feedback mechanism having one or more piezos configured to detect and quantify an amount of the application of the pressure to the outer surface by the object, the one or more piezos configured to output a signal indicating the quantified amount of the pressure; and

a pressure sensing and haptic feedback module configured to receive the signal from the one or more piezos indicating the quantified amount of the pressure and control the haptic feedback of the pressure sensor and haptic feedback mechanism by energizing the one or more piezos based at least in part of the quantified amount of pressure, the pressure sensing and haptic feedback module including a capacitor that takes as an input the signal from the one or more piezos, the capacitor configured to be reset to address voltage decay of the signal using a stored voltage offset by the pressure sensing and haptic feedback module.

2. An input device as described in claim 1, wherein the pressure sensor and haptic feedback mechanism includes a backer that deflects in response to a pulling motion of the one or more piezos due to the energizing of the one or more piezos.

3. An input device as described in claim 2, further comprising a spacer configured to route the amount of pressure applied to the outer surface for application at a generally central region of the backer.

4. An input device as described in claim 1, wherein the outer surface is formed as part of a trackpad that includes one or more sensors disposed thereon that are configured to detect proximity and movement of the object in relation to the outer surface.

5. An input device as described in claim 1, wherein the one or more piezos are formed at least in part from a piezo ceramic material, PZT, electroactive polymer, or electromechanical polymer.

6. An input device as described in claim 1, where in the signal is comprised of a summation of multiple signals received from multiple piezos.

7. A trackpad system comprising:

an outer surface configured to receive an application of pressure by an object and detect movement of the object in relation to the outer surface, the detected movement usable to control a cursor of a computing device;

a pressure sensor and haptic feedback mechanism having a plurality of pressure sensors that suspend the outer surface and are configured to detect and quantify an amount of the application of the pressure to the outer surface by the object, the pressure sensor and haptic feedback mechanism configured to output one or more signals indicating the quantified amount of the pressure; and

a pressure sensing module configured to receive the one or more signals from the plurality of pressure sensors indicating the quantified amount of the pressure detected via one or more piezos and control haptic feedback of the pressure sensor and haptic feedback mechanism by energizing the one or more piezos based at least in part on the quantified amount of pressure, the pressure sensing module including a capacitor that takes as an input the signal from the plurality of pressure sensors, the capacitor configured to be reset as part of the pressure sensing module to address voltage decay of the signal using a stored voltage offset.

8. A trackpad system as described in claim 7, wherein the plurality of pressure sensors utilize the one or more piezos to detect and quantify the amount of the application of pressure.

9. A trackpad system as described in claim 7, wherein the one or more signals are summed from the plurality of pressure sensors.

10. A trackpad system as described in claim 7, wherein the one or more signals are received individually by the pressure sensing module from respective ones of the plurality of pressure sensors.

11. A trackpad system as described in claim 10, wherein the one or more signals are usable to determine a relative location of the object in relation to the outer surface by the pressure sensing module.

12. A trackpad system as described in claim 10, wherein the one or more signals are usable to determine a relative location of the object in relation to the other surface by the pressure sensing module, and wherein the relative location of the object is calculated through triangulation of the one or more signals.

13. A trackpad system as described in claim 10, wherein the one or more signals include bipolar voltages that are measured differentially using diodes of the pressure sensing module.

14. An input device comprising:

an outer surface configured to receive an application of pressure by an object;

a pressure sensor configured to detect and quantify an amount of the application of the pressure to the outer surface by the object, the pressure sensor configured to output a signal indicating the quantified amount of the pressure;

a haptic feedback mechanism configured to provide haptic feedback using at least one piezo; and

a pressure sensing module configured to receive the signal from the pressure sensors indicating the quantified amount of the pressure and control the haptic feedback of the haptic feedback mechanism by energizing the at least one piezo based at least in part on the quantified amount of pressure, the pressure sensing module including a capacitor that takes as an input the signal from the pressure sensor, the capacitor configured to be reset as part of the pressure sensing module to address voltage decay of the signal using a stored voltage offset.

15. An input device as described in claim 14, wherein the pressure sensor employs the at least one piezo of the haptic feedback mechanism to detect and quantify the amount of the application of the pressure.

16. An input device as described in claim 14, wherein the haptic feedback mechanism includes a backer that deflects in response to a pulling motion of the at least one piezo due to the energizing of the at least one piezo.

17. An input device as described in claim 16, further comprising a spacer configured to route the amount of pressure applied to the outer surface for application at a generally central region of the backer.

18. An input device as described in claim 14, wherein the outer surface is formed as part of a trackpad that includes one or more sensors disposed thereon that are configured to detect proximity and movement of the object in relation to the outer surface.

19. An input device as described in claim 14, wherein the at least one piezo is formed at least in part from a piezo ceramic material, PZT, electroactive polymer, or electromechanical polymer.

20. An input device as described in claim 14, wherein the pressure sensing module is configured to energize the at least one piezo in response to the quantified amount of pressure exceeding a threshold amount of pressure.