Touch sensing module and electronic device including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022121340-A1
Application number	US-202117388234-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 29, 2021
Priority date	Oct 16, 2020
Publication date	Apr 21, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A touch sensing module includes a sensing coil, a metal portion disposed to be spaced apart from the sensing coil, and a first bracket having one surface, on which the metal portion is disposed, and an other surface, opposing the one surface, on which a pad having a capacitance, configured to vary as a touch is applied, is disposed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A touch sensing module comprising:
a sensing coil; a metal portion disposed to be spaced apart from the sensing coil; and a first bracket having one surface, on which the metal portion is disposed, and an other surface, opposing the one surface, on which a pad having capacitance, configured to vary as a touch is applied, is disposed.

2 . The touch sensing module of claim 1 , wherein the metal portion comprises:
a connection portion connected to the first bracket; and a pressurization portion extending from the connection portion and configured to deform as a touch is applied.

3 . The touch sensing module of claim 2 , further comprising:
a first substrate having an area in which the sensing coil is disposed, wherein the pressurization portion has one end connected to the connection portion, and an other end connected to the first substrate.

4 . The touch sensing module of claim 3 , further comprising:
a second bracket supporting the first substrate.

5 . The touch sensing module of claim 2 , wherein the metal portion further comprises:
a sensing region protruding in a direction, in which the sensing coil is disposed, and overlapping a winding surface of the sensing coil.

6 . The touch sensing module of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first substrate having an area in which the sensing coil is disposed, wherein the metal potion is disposed to be spaced from the first substrate.

7 . The touch sensing module of claim 6 , further comprising:
a second bracket supporting the first substrate, wherein the second bracket comprises: a support portion in contact with the first substrate; and an elastic portion receiving a pressure from the support portion configured to be compressed to be deformed.

8 . The touch sensing module of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second substrate having an area in which the pad is disposed.

9 . The touch sensing module of claim 8 , wherein the first and second substrates are connected to each other to form a single substrate.

10 . The touch sensing module of claim 1 , wherein the sensing coil and the pad are electrically connected to each other to form a resonance circuit, and
wherein the resonance circuit generates a resonance signal having a resonant frequency configured to vary as a touch is applied.

11 . The touch sensing module of claim 10 , further comprising:
a detection circuit electrically connected to the resonance circuit and configured to generate a touch input signal based on an amount of a change in the resonant frequency of the generated resonance signal.

12 . The touch sensing module of claim 11 , wherein the detection circuit detects a position, to which a touch is applied, based on a change in resonant frequency depending on a change in capacitance of the pad, and generates a contact touch input signal including information of the detected position.

13 . The touch sensing module of claim 11 , wherein the detection circuit detects an intensity of a pressure, generated by a touch, based on a change in resonant frequency depending on a change in inductance of the sensing coil, and generates a force touch input signal matching the detected intensity of the pressure.

14 . The touch sensing module of claim 1 , wherein the pad constitutes a pad resonance circuit, and the sensing coil constitutes a sensing coil circuit, and
wherein the pad resonance circuit and the sensing coil resonance circuit generate a first resonance signal and a second resonance signal having resonant frequencies varying as a touch is applied, respectively.

15 . The touch sensing module of claim 14 , further comprising:
a detection circuit electrically connected to the pad resonance circuit and the sensing coil resonance circuit, wherein the detection circuit generates a contact touch input signal based on an amount of a change in resonant frequency of the first resonance circuit, and generates a force touch input signal based on an amount of a change in resonant frequency of the second resonance signal.

16 . An electronic device comprising:
the touch sensing module of claim 1 ; and a housing comprising a touch switch portion overlapping the touch sensing module.

17 . An electronic device comprising:
a housing including an outer housing, including a touch switch portion, and an inner housing disposed to be spaced apart from the outer housing; and a touch sensing module disposed between the outer housing and the inner housing, wherein the touch sensing module comprises: a sensing coil disposed to be spaced apart from the outer housing; a metal portion disposed between the outer housing and the sensing coil and spaced apart from the sensing coil; and a first bracket having one surface, facing the inner housing, on which the metal portion is disposed, and an other surface, facing the outer housing, on which a pad, having capacitance configured to vary as a touch is applied, is disposed.

18 . The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the metal portion comprises:
a connection portion in contact with the first bracket; and a pressurization portion extending from the connection portion in a direction toward the inner housing and configured to deform as a touch is applied.

19 . The electronic device of claim 17 , further comprising:
a first substrate having an area in which the sensing coil is disposed; and a second bracket disposed between the first substrate and the inner housing to support the first substrate.

20 . The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the second bracket comprises:
a support portion in contact with the first substrate; and an elastic portion receiving a pressure from the support portion configured to be compressed to be deformed.

21 . The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the touch sensing module includes a plurality of touch sensing modules, and
wherein the touch switch portion includes a plurality of touch switch portions, respectively corresponding to the plurality of touch sensing modules.

22 . The electronic device of claim 21 , wherein first brackets, included in the plurality of touch sensing modules, are formed to be separated from each other and metal portions, included in the plurality of touch sensing modules, are formed to be separated from each other.

23 . The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein at least partial regions of the touch switch portion, the pad, and the sensing coil overlap each other.

24 . A touch sensing module comprising:
a pad, a first bracket, a metal portion, and a sensing coil facing and spaced apart from the metal portion, disposed in this order in a touch direction, which is a direction in which a touch is applied, wherein the pad comprises a capacitance configured to vary in response to a touch.

25 . The touch sensing module of claim 24 , further comprising a second bracket disposed such that the sensing coil is between the metal portion and the second bracket.

26 . The touch sensing module of claim 25 , wherein
the metal portion comprises a pressurization portion extending in the touch direction configured to deform in response to the touch, and/or the second bracket comprises an elastic portion extending in the touch direction configured to deform in response to the touch.

Assignees

• Samsung Electro Mech

Inventors

• Oh Hee Sun
• Lee Gye Won
• Lee Hong Seok
• Lee Chang Ju
• Kim Jong Yun

Classifications

• G06F1/1656

  Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories (mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203) · 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

• G06F1/1626

  with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs] · CPC title

• G06F3/0447

  Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells · CPC title

• G06F3/0445

  using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer · CPC title