Capacitive touch panel for sensing mechanical inputs to a device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11221697-B2
Application number	US-201414915224-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2014
Priority date	Aug 28, 2013
Publication date	Jan 11, 2022
Grant date	Jan 11, 2022

Abstract

A device including a mechanical input and a touch-sensitive surface for detecting one or more touch inputs and an input from the mechanical input. The touch-sensitive surface can include a first portion for detecting at least the touch inputs, and a second portion for detecting at least the mechanical input. The touch-sensitive surface can include a first portion for detecting at least the touch inputs and the mechanical input. The mechanical input can comprise an electrically conductive material, and the mechanical input can be detected based on capacitance measurements between the mechanical input and the touch-sensitive surface. The device can include a sensing element, the mechanical input can comprise an electrically insulating material, and the mechanical input can be detected based on capacitance measurements between the touch-sensitive surface and the sensing element. The device can include logic to differentiate between the touch inputs and the mechanical input.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
a display layer;
a mechanical input element, wherein at least a portion of the mechanical input element is disposed within the device, and the mechanical input element is manipulable by a user to cause the mechanical input element to move within the device; and
a touch-sensitive surface, wherein the touch-sensitive surface comprises:
a first portion configured to detect one or more touch inputs from one or more objects external to the device, and
a second portion configured to detect the movement of the mechanical input element that is at least partially internal to the device, wherein the second portion of the touch-sensitive surface is disposed outside of a boundary of the display layer.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the mechanical input element comprises an electrically conductive material, and detecting the movement of the mechanical input element comprises detecting the movement of the mechanical input element based on one or more capacitance measurements between the mechanical input element and the second portion of the touch-sensitive surface.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the mechanical input element is disposed below the touch-sensitive surface, within the device.

4. A method comprising:
detecting one or more touch inputs from one or more objects external to a device using a first portion of a touch-sensitive surface included in the device; and
detecting movement of a mechanical input element using a second portion of the touch-sensitive surface, wherein at least a portion of the mechanical input element is disposed within the device, the mechanical input element is manipulable by a user to cause the mechanical input element to move within the device, and the second portion of the touch-sensitive surface is disposed outside of a boundary of a display layer of the device.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the mechanical input element comprises an electrically conductive material, and detecting the movement of the mechanical input element comprises detecting the movement of the mechanical input element based on one or more capacitance measurements between the mechanical input element and the second portion of the touch-sensitive surface.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the mechanical input element is disposed below the touch-sensitive surface, within the device.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Shedletsky Anna-Katrina
• Werner Christopher
• Ely Colin M
• Rothkopf Fletcher R

Classifications

• G06F3/0412 Primary

  Digitisers structurally integrated in a display · CPC title

• G06F3/0362 Primary

  with detection of one-dimensional [1D] translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts · CPC title

• G06F3/0393

  Accessories for touch pads or touch screens, e.g. mechanical guides added to touch screens for drawing straight lines, hard keys overlaying touch screens or touch pads · CPC title

• G06F3/041

  Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means · CPC title

• G06F3/0443

  using a single layer of sensing electrodes · CPC title