Touch sensing device and electronic apparatus having improved touch sensing identificaiton

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021382579-A1
Application number	US-202017110700-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 3, 2020
Priority date	Jun 3, 2020
Publication date	Dec 9, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A touch sensing device includes: a first touch sensing unit including a first sensing electrode and a first sensing inductor electrically connected to each other, wherein capacitance of the first touch sensing unit varies depending on parasitic capacitance formed between the first sensing electrode and a human body according to a contact of the human body; a first force sensing unit including a first sensing coil spaced apart from an internal side surface of a frame, wherein inductance of the first force sensing unit varies depending on a change in distance between the first sensing coil and the frame according to a pressing touch; and a circuit unit configured to detect whether a touch of the human body is input, based on variations in the capacitance of the first touch sensing unit and variations in the inductance with the force sensing unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A touch sensing device applied to an electronic apparatus including a side portion having a cover and a frame, and a touch switch unit including a first touch member and a first force member, the touch sensing device comprising:
a first touch sensing unit disposed inside the cover and including a first sensing electrode and a first sensing inductor electrically connected to each other, wherein capacitance of the first touch sensing unit varies depending on parasitic capacitance formed between the first sensing electrode and a human body according to a contact of the human body applied through the first touch member; a first force sensing unit including a first sensing coil disposed to be spaced apart from an internal side surface of the frame, wherein inductance of the first force sensing unit varies depending on a change in distance between the first sensing coil and the frame according to a pressing touch applied through the first force member; and a circuit unit configured to detect whether a touch of the human body is input, based on variations in the capacitance of the first touch sensing unit and variations in the inductance of the first force sensing unit.

2 . The touch sensing device of claim 1 , wherein the first sensing electrode is disposed inside the first touch member the first touch member being a portion of the cover,
wherein the first sensing inductor is mounted on a substrate, and wherein the first touch sensing unit further includes a first connection wire electrically connecting the first sensing electrode and one end of the first sensing inductor to each other.

3 . The touch sensing device of claim 2 , wherein the first sensing electrode includes two first sensing electrodes disposed in different locations of an internal side of a first touch member that is a portion of a cover, and connected to the one end and another end of the first sensing inductor, and
wherein the first connection wire includes two first connection wires respectively electrically connecting the two first sensing electrodes to the one end and the other end of the first sensing inductor.

4 . The touch sensing device of claim 1 , wherein the first sensing coil is disposed to be spaced apart from the first force member and is mounted on a substrate to oppose an internal side surface of the first force member,
wherein the first force member is a portion of the frame, and wherein the first force sensing unit further includes a first support member including a first body member supported by an internal structure of the frame and configured to support a portion of the substrate on which the first sensing coil is mounted, and first column members supported on the first body member and attached to ends of the first force member.

5 . The touch sensing device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second touch sensing unit disposed inside the cover and including a second sensing electrode and a second sensing inductor electrically connected to each other, wherein capacitance of the second touch sensing unit varies depending on parasitic capacitance formed between the second sensing electrode and the human body according to a contact of the human body applied through a second touch member of the cover.

6 . The touch sensing device of claim 5 , wherein the second sensing electrode is disposed inside a second touch member that is a portion of the cover,
wherein the second sensing inductor is mounted on a substrate, and wherein the second touch sensing unit further includes a second connection wire electrically connecting the second sensing electrode and one end of the second sensing inductor to each other.

7 . The touch sensing device of claim 6 , wherein the second sensing electrode includes two second sensing electrodes disposed in different locations of an internal side of a second touch member that is a portion of the cover, and connected to one end and another end of the second sensing inductor, and
wherein the second connection wire includes two second connection wires respectively electrically connecting the two second sensing electrodes to the one end and the other end of the second sensing inductor.

8 . The touch sensing device of claim 6 , wherein the circuit unit comprises:
a first touch detection circuit configured to output, in response to the contact of the human body applied through the first touch member occurring, a first touch detection signal for the first touch member based on capacitance variation depending on the parasitic capacitance formed between the first sensing electrode and the human body; a first force detection circuit configured to output, in response to the pressing touch applied through the first force member occurring, a first force detection signal for the first force member based on inductance variation occurring as the first force member is inwardly deflected; a second touch detection circuit configured to output, in response to the contact of the human body applied through the second touch member occurring, a second touch detection signal for the second touch member based on capacitance variation depending on the parasitic capacitance formed between the second sensing electrode and the human body; and a touch identification circuit configured to identify a touch switch based on the first touch detection signal, the first force detection signal, and the second touch detection signal.

9 . The touch sensing device of claim 6 , wherein the first touch member, the first force member, and the second touch member are disposed in a zigzag form.

10 . The touch sensing device of claim 6 , wherein a boundary of the frame and the cover has a zigzag form, and
wherein the first touch member, the first force member, and the second touch member are disposed on a straight line.

11 . The touch sensing device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second force sensing unit including a second sensing coil disposed to be spaced apart from the internal side surface of the frame, wherein inductance of the second force sensing unit varies depending on a change in distance between the second sensing coil and the frame according to a pressing touch (applied through a second force member that is a portion of the frame.

12 . The touch sensing device of claim 11 , wherein the second sensing coil is disposed to be spaced apart from an internal side surface of the second force member, and
wherein the second force sensing unit further includes a second support member including:
a second body member supported by an internal structure of the frame, and configured to support a portion of the substrate on which the second sensing coil is mounted; and
second column members supported on the second body member and attached to ends of the second force member.

13 . The touch sensing device of claim 11 , wherein the first sensing electrode is disposed on an entire internal side of the cover opposing the first and second sensing coils and the first sensing inductor.

14 . The touch sensing device of claim 11 , wherein the circuit unit comprises:
a first force detection circuit configured to output, in response to the pressing touch applied through the first force member occurring, a first force detection signal for the first force member based on inductance variation occurring as the first force member is inwardly deflected; a first touch detection circuit configured to output, in response to the contact of the human body applied through the first touch member occurring, a first touch detection signal for the first touch member based on capacitance variation depending on the parasitic capacitance

Assignees

• Samsung Electro Mech

Inventors

• Lee Joo Hyoung
• Ko Joo Yul

Classifications

• G06F2203/04105

  Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position · CPC title

• G06F1/1652

  the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable · CPC title

• G06F1/1684

  Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675 · CPC title

• G06F1/1671

  Special purpose buttons or auxiliary keyboards, e.g. retractable mini keypads, keypads or buttons that remain accessible at closed laptop (G06F1/1666 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F1/1643

  the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads (details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615) · CPC title