Patent application number | Description | Published |
20130075613 | HIDDEN SENSORS IN AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE - An electronic device having one or more sensors is provided. The sensors may include any suitable type of sensor that emits or receives radiation (e.g., light waves) from the environment. The electronic device may include openings through which radiation may reach the sensors while keeping the sensors hidden from view. In some embodiments, the sensors may be placed underneath an opening used for an audio receiver such that radiation is piped to the sensors using a light path or a chamfered surface along the opening. In some embodiments, the sensors may be embedded in a screen such that the radiation emitted by the sensors exits the screen instead of being reflected on the screen. In some embodiments, the sensors may be placed along the periphery of the display, such that access to the sensors is provided via discontinuities in a gasket used to couple the display to the electronic device. | 03-28-2013 |
20150331517 | Force Detection in Touch Devices Using Piezoelectric Sensors - Systems and methods related to piezoelectric based force sensing in touch devices are presented. One embodiment, for example, may take the form of an apparatus including a touch device having a deformable device stack and a piezoelectric element positioned relative to the deformable device stack such that the piezoelectric element deforms with the deformable stack. Deformation of the piezoelectric element generates a signal having a magnitude discernable as representative of an amount of force applied to the touch device. | 11-19-2015 |
20150370376 | Force Determination Based on Capacitive Sensing - A device configured to determine the location and magnitude of a touch on a surface of the device. The device includes a transparent touch sensor that is configured to detect a location of a touch on the transparent touch sensor. The device also includes a force-sensing structure disposed at the periphery of the transparent touch sensor. The force sensor includes an upper capacitive plate and a compressible element disposed on one side of the upper capacitive plate. The force sensor also includes a lower capacitive plate disposed on a side of the compressible element that is opposite the upper capacitive plate. | 12-24-2015 |
20160054826 | Ultrasound-Based Force Sensing - A force sensing device for computer or electronic devices. The force sensing device is configured to determine an amount of force applied, and changes in amounts of force applied, by the user when contacting a device, such as a touch device, and which can be incorporated into devices using touch recognition, touch elements of a graphical user interface, and touch input or manipulation in an application program. Additionally, the force sensing device may determine an amount of force applied, and changes in amounts of force applied, by the user when contacting a device, such as a touch device, and in response thereto, provide additional functions available to a user of a touch device, track pad, or the like. | 02-25-2016 |
20160062497 | Ultrasound-Based Force Sensing and Touch Sensing - An input/output device for a computing device including one or more touch sensors and one or more force sensors. The touch sensors sense data including one or more locations at which a contact or near-contact occurs. The force sensor sense data including a measure of an amount of force presented at the one or more locations at which a contact occurs. The touch sensors and the force sensors responsive to signals occurring in response to whether the signals are in response to contact or in response to an amount of force. The input/output device also includes one or more circuits coupled to the touch sensors and to the force sensors, and capable of combining information from both sensors. | 03-03-2016 |
20160062498 | Ultrasound-Based Force and Touch Sensing - A touch input/output device for a computing device. The touch device includes a touch sensor for providing touch location information and a force sensor for providing force of touch information. The touch sensor determines touch location information. The force sensor determines the force of touch information. Both the touch sensor and the force sensor are integrated into a circuit responsive to signals, the signals occurring at discernible times in response to whether the signals are in response to contact or in response to an amount of force. Additionally, the touch device includes a circuit coupled to the touch sensor and to the force sensor, and capable of combining information from the touch sensors and from the force sensors. | 03-03-2016 |
20160062530 | Ultrasound-Based Force Sensing of Inputs - An electronic device that senses home button inputs through ultrasonic force sensing. The electronic device may correlate that amount of force that a user applies to the home button with a specific home button command. In certain embodiments, the system may combine the force of touch information with other information that is sensed for a particular touch to correlate the touch input with a greater number of home button commands. A home button embodiment discussed herein may include a home button image that is displayed on a touch sensitive panel. In other embodiments, a home button may be located outside of the boundaries of a touch sensitive panel. | 03-03-2016 |
20160103545 | Temperature Compensating Transparent Force Sensor Having a Complliant Layer - An optically transparent force sensor that may compensate for environmental effects, including, for example, variations in temperature of the device or the surroundings. In some examples, two force-sensitive layers are separated by a compliant layer. The relative electrical response of the two force-sensitive layers may be used to compute an estimate of the force of a touch that reduces the effect of variations in temperature. In some examples, piezoelectric films having anisotropic strain properties are used to reduce the effects of temperature. | 04-14-2016 |