Apparatus and method for enabling user input

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9665197-B2
Application number	US-1201508-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2008
Priority date	Jan 30, 2008
Publication date	May 30, 2017
Grant date	May 30, 2017

Abstract

An apparatus including: a display including an array of picture elements which are configurable to provide information to a user; a first sensor for sensing force applied to the display by the user, the first sensor comprising a substantially transparent conductive member extending over at least a portion of the array of picture elements and configured to be deformable by the user, the first sensor being configured to provide an output associated with the deformation of the conductive member.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a first sensor configured to sense force applied to a display by a user, the display including an array of picture elements which are configurable to provide information to the user, the first sensor comprising a substantially transparent conductive member extending over at least a portion of the array of picture elements and configured to be deformable by the user, the first sensor being configured to provide an output associated with the deformation of the conductive member; and
a second sensor, being a capacitive touch sensor configured to sense the position of an input to the display by the user and to provide an output associated with the sensed position of the user input,
wherein the conductive member of the first sensor is configured to provide a ground plane for the capacitive touch sensor, and wherein the spacing between sections of the conductive member is smaller than the wavelength of electromagnetic waves emitted from within the apparatus.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to receive the output from the first sensor, the controller being configured to recognize the force applied to the display as a user input if the output from the first sensor is above a predetermined threshold.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to receive the output from the first sensor, the controller being configured to variably control a graphical user interface displayed on the display dependent on the output received from the first sensor.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the conductive member of the first sensor is positionable where the user is most likely to provide a force to the array of picture elements of the display.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the conductive member of the first sensor is arranged to extend over substantially all of the picture elements of the display.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the conductive member comprises indium tin oxide.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the conductive member comprises a conductive polymer.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first sensor is a strain gauge sensor.

9. A portable electronic device comprising the apparatus as claimed in claim 1 .

10. A module comprising an apparatus as claimed in claim 1 .

11. A method comprising:
providing a first sensor configured to sense force applied to a display by a user, the first sensor comprising a substantially transparent conductive member, the display including an array of picture elements which are configurable to provide information to the user;
arranging the conductive member to extend over at least a portion of the array of picture elements and configured to be deformable by the user, the first sensor being configured to provide an output associated with the deformation of the conductive member;
providing a second sensor, being a capacitive touch sensor configured to sense the position of an input to the display by the user and for providing an output associated with the sensed position of the user input; and
wherein the conductive member of the first sensor is configured to provide a ground plane for the capacitive touch sensor, and wherein the spacing between sections of the conductive member is smaller than the wavelength of electromagnetic waves emitted from within the apparatus.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising providing a controller for receiving the output from the first sensor; and configuring the controller to recognize the force applied to the display as a user input if the output from the first sensor is above a predetermined threshold.

13. A method as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising providing a controller for receiving the output from the first sensor, configuring the controller to variably control a graphical user interface displayed on the display dependent on the output received from the first sensor.

14. A method as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising positioning the conductive member of the first sensor to where the user is most likely to provide a force to the array of picture elements of the display.

15. A method as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising arranging the conductive member of the first sensor to extend over substantially all of the picture elements of the display.

16. A method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the conductive member comprises indium tin oxide.

17. A method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the conductive member comprises a conductive polymer.

18. A method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the first sensor is a strain gauge sensor.

19. An apparatus comprising:
a display means; including an array of picture elements, for providing information to a user;
a first sensor means for sensing force applied to the display by the user, the first sensor means comprising a substantially transparent conductive member extending over at least a portion of the array of picture elements and configured to be deformable by the user, the first sensor means for providing an output associated with the deformation of the conductive member;
a second sensor means, being a capacitive touch sensor means for sensing the position of an input to the display means by the user and for providing an output associated with the sensed position of the user input; and
wherein the conductive member of the first sensor means is configured to provide a ground plane for the capacitive touch sensor means, and wherein the spacing between sections of the conductive member is smaller than the wavelength of electromagnetic waves emitted from within the apparatus.

20. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a display including the array of picture elements which are configurable to provide information to a user.

21. A method as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising providing a display including the array of picture elements which are configurable to provide information to a user.

22. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the conductive member is a conductive track arranged in a serpentine configuration.

23. An apparatus as claimed in claim 22 , wherein the spacing between sections of the conductive track is smaller than the wavelength of electromagnetic waves emitted by an antenna arrangement of the apparatus.

Assignees

• Haffenden Ian
• Robinson Andrew
• Keller David
• Clay Graham
• Nokia Technologies Oy

Inventors

• Haffenden Ian
• Robinson Andrew
• Keller David
• Clay Graham

Classifications

• G06F3/0414 Primary

  using force sensing means to determine a position · CPC title

• G06F3/0443 Primary

  using a single layer of sensing electrodes · CPC title

• G06F2203/04105

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