Continuous touch input over multiple independent surfaces

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11972083-B2
Application number	US-202318175961-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2023
Priority date	Mar 12, 2021
Publication date	Apr 30, 2024
Grant date	Apr 30, 2024

Abstract

Touch input devices are provided with the capability of sensing a capacitive load in a two-dimensional array while also being able to sense deflection or movement of the input device in multiple different locations under an input pad. A touch input device can beneficially be used in a remote control device and can be used with multiple input buttons or platforms overlaying multiple capacitive touch input regions on a capacitive touch sensor substrate. Movement and position of a capacitive load can be tracked and calculated via output signals from a set of electrodes or other capacitance sensors with irregular shapes, with inconsistent distances from the capacitive load, and which are positioned below variable materials and material compositions. Thus, tracking gestures and taps can be detected using the capacitance sensing devices, and deflection input can be detected using switches or other actuators situated under the capacitance sensing devices.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic controller, comprising:
a housing defining an internal cavity; and
a capacitive touch input assembly disposed within the internal cavity, the capacitive touch input assembly comprising:
a central platform;
an outer platform disposed around the central platform;
a central substrate positioned beneath the central platform, the central substrate being configured to sense touches at the central platform;
an outer substrate positioned beneath the outer platform, the outer substrate being configured to sense touches at the outer platform;
a first switch positioned beneath the central substrate, the first switch being actuatable in response to movement of the central platform; and
a second switch positioned beneath the outer substrate, the second switch being actuatable in response to movement of the outer platform.

2. The electronic controller of claim 1 , wherein the first switch and the second switch are independently actuatable.

3. The electronic controller of claim 1 , wherein at least one the central substrate or the outer substrate comprise a plurality of conductive regions spaced apart by a plurality of non-conductive regions.

4. The electronic controller of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of conductive regions are bounded by the plurality of non-conductive regions, the plurality of non-conductive regions forming a gridline-shaped pattern of non-conductive material.

5. The electronic controller of claim 1 , further comprising a carrier structure disposed on a top surface of the central substrate.

6. The electronic controller of claim 5 , further comprising a plurality of adhesive layers, at least one adhesive layer of the plurality of adhesive layers being disposed between each of the central platform, the central substrate, and the carrier structure.

7. The electronic controller of claim 1 , wherein:
the first switch is positioned on a bottom surface defining the internal cavity; and
the second switch is positioned on a raised surface relative to the bottom surface, the raised surface comprising a surface depth less than a surface depth of the bottom surface.

8. The electronic controller of claim 1 , wherein the outer substrate and the central substrate are electronically connected.

9. The electronic controller of claim 1 , further comprising an adhesive layer disposed between the outer platform and the outer substrate.

10. The electronic controller of claim 1 , wherein a first portion of the outer platform and a second portion of the central platform each define an outer surface of the electronic controller.

11. The electronic controller of claim 10 , wherein:
the first portion of the outer platform defines the outer surface at a first depth; and
the second portion of the central platform defines the outer surface at a second depth that differs from the first depth.

12. The electronic controller of claim 11 , wherein the outer surface of the central platform is convex, and the outer surface of the outer platform is concave.

13. The electronic controller of claim 10 , wherein the outer surface is contoured.

14. A remote control device comprising:
a housing with an internal cavity; and
a capacitive touch input device disposed in the internal cavity, the capacitive touch input device including:
a conductive substrate having a plurality of conductive regions spaced apart by a plurality of non-conductive regions;
an input platform disposed on top of the conductive substrate; and
a plurality of switches disposed beneath the conductive substrate, wherein at least one switch of the plurality of switches is actuatable in response to movement of the input platform.

15. The remote control device of claim 14 , wherein a non-conductive region of the plurality of non-conductive regions vertically overlaps with a conductive region of the plurality of conductive regions.

16. The remote control device of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of conductive regions includes a first plurality of conductive regions arranged within an inner region and a second plurality of conductive regions arranged in an outer region surrounding the inner region, the outer region being separated from the inner region by a flexible connector.

17. The remote control device of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of conductive regions are rectangular.

18. The remote control device of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of conductive regions are non-rectangular.

19. A touch sensitive control assembly comprising:
a housing having an internal cavity; and
a touch input assembly disposed within the internal cavity, the touch input assembly including:
an input surface movably disposed within the internal cavity;
a touch sensitive substrate positioned below the input surface and comprising a non-rectangular region containing a set of touch-sensitive electrodes arranged in a two-dimensional grid and having edges following a set of square-shaped gridlines; and
a switch disposed beneath the touch sensitive substrate and actuatable in response to a force applied to the input surface.

20. The touch sensitive control assembly of claim 19 , wherein at least some touch-sensitive electrodes of the set of touch-sensitive electrodes are spaced apart by non-conductive material arranged in gridlines.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Williams Reuben J
• Waterfall Clark E
• Goh Eng Eow
• Jain Karan S

Classifications

• G06F3/0446 Primary

  using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes · CPC title

• G06F3/04883 Primary

  for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text · CPC title

• G06F3/0443 Primary

  using a single layer of sensing electrodes · CPC title

• G06F3/0485

  Scrolling or panning · CPC title

• G06F3/0414

  using force sensing means to determine a position · CPC title