Capacitive touch with tactile feedback

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9298324-B1
Application number	US-201313794591-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 11, 2013
Priority date	Mar 11, 2013
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

Various embodiments provide a capacitive touch input element that is formed of a recess in a substrate. The size and shape of the recess are chosen such that a finger of a user will not contact the bottom or minima point of the recess, thereby, requiring pressure to be applied by the finger in order to make contact. Beneath the substrate is a capacitive sensing electrode designed to concentrate an electric field toward the minima point of the recess such that the finger must make contact with the minima point to effect a change in capacitance causing the capacitive touch element to provide input to an appropriate application.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable computing device, comprising:
a processor;
a display element configured to display content through a cover glass;
a pre-disposed recess in the cover glass above the display element, the recess and a minima point of the recess disposed in the cover glass in a manner such that contact with the minima point by an object requires an applied pressure by the object to move through the recess to contact the minima point;
a capacitive sensing layer below the cover glass, the capacitive sensing layer operable to detect changes in capacitance, the capacitive sensing layer including an electrode formed to concentrate an electric field toward the minima point of the recess such that contact with the minima point of the recess made by the object causes a change in capacitance to provide an input; and
memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, enable the processor to receive data based on a signal from the capacitance sensing layer for providing the input to an application on the portable computing device.

2. The portable computing device of claim 1 , wherein the object is a finger and a size and shape of the recess requires pressure to be applied by the finger to deform a portion of the finger to make contact with the minima point.

3. The portable computing device of claim 1 , wherein the recess includes a texture.

4. The portable computing device of claim 1 , wherein the signal is provided by the capacitive sensing layer when the change in capacitance exceeds a threshold value.

5. The portable computing device of claim 1 , wherein the capacitive sensing layer detects a first change in capacitance value when the object makes contact with the cover glass and detects a second change in capacitance value when the object makes contact with the minima point, the signal being provided upon detecting the second change in capacitance value.

6. The portable computing device of claim 1 , wherein a size and shape of the recess is smaller than the object requiring pressure to be applied by the object in order for the object to make contact with the minima point.

7. A capacitive touch element, comprising: a pre-disposed recess in a substrate; and a capacitive sensor positioned proximate the recess, the capacitive sensor configured to provide a signal corresponding to an input in response to an object making contact being pressed at least partially into the recess to make contact with the central portion of the recess and causing a change in capacitance, wherein contact between the object and the central portion of the recess requires an applied pressure by the object to move through the recess to contact the central portion of the recess, and wherein the capacitive sensor further comprises a capacitive sensing layer below the substrate, the capacitive sensing layer operable to detect changes in capacitance, the capacitive sensing layer including an electrode formed to concentrate an electric field substantially toward a central portion of the recess such that contact with the central portion of the recess made by the object causes the change in capacitance to provide the input.

8. The capacitive touch element of claim 7 , wherein the substrate is at least one of glass, a glass touch screen, a plastic touch screen, or a plastic body of a computing device.

9. The capacitive touch element of claim 7 , wherein the input is provided to an application executing on the computing device when the change in capacitance exceeds a threshold value corresponding to the object being pressed at least partially into the recess and making contact with the central portion of the recess.

10. The capacitive touch element of claim 7 , wherein a size of the recess is smaller in size relative to the object such that the object will rest above the recess on the substrate without making contact with the central portion until pressure is applied by the object.

11. The capacitive touch element of claim 7 , wherein the capacitive sensor provides a first signal corresponding to a first change in capacitance when the object makes contact with the substrate and provides a second signal corresponding to a second change in capacitance value when the object makes contact with the central portion.

12. The capacitive touch element of claim 7 , wherein the recess is smaller in width than the object requiring pressure to be applied by the object in order for a portion of the object to fit into the recess to make contact with the central portion.

13. The capacitive touch element of claim 7 , wherein the input is provided when a change in capacitance exceeds a threshold value, the threshold value being reached when the object makes contact with the central portion.

14. The capacitive touch element of claim 7 , wherein the recess includes a texture.

15. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,
activating a capacitive touch sensor on a computing device, the capacitive touch sensor being positioned below a pre-disposed recess in a substrate and configured to generate and concentrate an electric field toward a central portion of the recess, and further configured to detect a change in capacitance; wherein the recess is disposed in the substrate in a manner such that contact with the central portion by an object requires an applied pressure by the object to move through the recess to contact the central portion;
detecting a change in capacitance;
analyzing the change in capacitance to determine whether a value of the change in capacitance exceeds a threshold value indicative of the object contacting the central portion; and
in response to the change in capacitance exceeding the threshold value, providing an input to an application executing on the computing device.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , further comprising detecting a capacitance value below the threshold value in response to the object resting on the substrate above the capacitive touch sensor without the object making contact with the central portion.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , wherein the recess is smaller in size and shape than the object requiring pressure to be applied by the object in order for the object to make contact with the central portion.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , further comprising:
detecting a first change in capacitance value in response to the object making contact with the substrate; and
detecting a second change in capacitance value in response to the object making contact with the central portion, wherein the second change in capacitance value exceeds the threshold value.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , wherein the recess includes a texture.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , wherein the substrate is at least one of glass, a glass touch screen, a plastic touch screen, or a plastic body of the computing device.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computing device to:
activate a capacitive touch sensor on the computing device, the capacitive touch sensor being positioned below a pre-disposed recess in a substrate and configured to generate and concentrate an electric field toward a central portion of the recess, and further configured to detect a change in capacitance, wherein the recess is disposed in the substrate in a manner such that contact with t

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Rowe Gabriel Isaiah
• Rathnam Lakshman

Classifications

• G06F2203/04809

  Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard · CPC title

• G06F3/044 Primary

  by capacitive means · CPC title

• G06F3/0446

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

• G06F3/0488 Primary

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title