The described embodiments relate generally to a sensor in an electronic device that is configured to detect user inputs.
Electronic devices include many different electrical, mechanical, and structural components. One example of an electrical component is a sensor, such as a capacitive sensor that can be used to detect touch or force inputs applied to a surface of the electronic device. Different types of sensors can be positioned in a variety of locations within the electronic device. For example, a touch sensor can be situated adjacent a display to detect touch inputs applied to the display while a force sensor may be located in an input button to detect force inputs applied to the input button.
In some situations, the locations where a sensor can be positioned are limited by the shape of the electronic device, or by the dimensions of the open or accessible areas within the electronic device. For example, it can be challenging to position a larger-sized sensor in an electronic device due to the various physical components (e.g., electrical, structural, and mechanical components) within the electronic device. The shapes or dimensions of the physical components can interfere with the placement of the larger-sized sensor. In some instances, the dimensions of the physical components can hinder the performance of the sensor because the sensor cannot be placed in a more favorable location.
Embodiments described herein relate generally to a flexible sensor that includes a compliant layer positioned between two substrate layers. The compliant layer includes a first compliant material and a second compliant material that is more deformable or compressible than the first compliant material. The flexible sensor can be bent, twisted, shaped, or otherwise manipulated at the section(s) of the flexible sensor that include the second compliant material.
In one aspect, a flexible sensor is configured to detect a user input, such as a force input. The flexible sensor includes a first flexible circuit comprising a first electrode and a second flexible circuit comprising a second electrode. The second electrode is aligned in at least one direction with the first electrode. The first and the second electrodes are configured to detect the force input based on a change in capacitance. A compliant layer is positioned between the first and the second flexible circuits. The compliant layer includes a compliant material and a gap positioned in a section of the compliant material. The gap allows at least one of the first or the second flexible circuits to bend, twist, or otherwise be manipulated at the section of the flexible sensor that includes the gap. A bonding structure is attached to the first and the second flexible circuits at a transition in the compliant layer between the compliant material and the gap. The bonding structure increases the resistance of the compliant material to a shear force.
In another aspect, an electronic device includes a physical component and a bendable sensor adjacent to and extending along a surface of the physical component. The physical component can be an electrical component, a mechanical component, and/or a structural component. The bendable sensor includes a compliant layer positioned between a first substrate layer and a second substrate layer. The compliant layer includes a first compliant material having a first spring constant and a second compliant material positioned in a section of the first compliant material and having a second lower spring constant. The first and the second substrate layers bend at the section of the bendable sensor that includes the second compliant layer to conform to a shape of the physical component. The bendable sensor further includes an input-sensing element coupled to one of the first substrate layer or the second substrate layer and configured to detect a user input. An example input-sensing element is an electrode that detects a user input based on capacitance changes between the electrode and a conductive object. Example conductive objects include, but are not limited to, a body part of a user (e.g., a finger) or an input device (e.g., a stylus with a conductive component such as a conductive tip).
In yet another aspect, a method of providing a flexible force sensor in an electronic device includes providing a compliant layer formed with a first compliant material and removing a section of the compliant material to produce an unfilled space in the compliant layer. The compliant layer is attached between a first flexible circuit comprising a first electrode and a second flexible circuit comprising a second electrode. The second electrode is aligned in at least one direction with the first electrode. The first and the second electrodes are configured to detect a force input based on a change in capacitance. The flexible force sensor is then positioned in the electronic device, where the flexible force sensor bends to conform to a surface of a physical component in the electronic device.
The disclosure will be readily understood by the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like structural elements, and in which:
The use of cross-hatching or shading in the accompanying figures is generally provided to clarify the boundaries between adjacent elements and also to facilitate legibility of the figures. Accordingly, neither the presence nor the absence of cross-hatching or shading conveys or indicates any preference or requirement for particular materials, material properties, element proportions, element dimensions, commonalities of similarly illustrated elements, or any other characteristic, attribute, or property for any element illustrated in the accompanying figures.
Additionally, it should be understood that the proportions and dimensions (either relative or absolute) of the various features and elements (and collections and groupings thereof) and the boundaries, separations, and positional relationships presented therebetween, are provided in the accompanying figures merely to facilitate an understanding of the various embodiments described herein and, accordingly, may not necessarily be presented or illustrated to scale, and are not intended to indicate any preference or requirement for an illustrated embodiment to the exclusion of embodiments described with reference thereto.
Reference will now be made in detail to representative embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the following descriptions are not intended to limit the embodiments to one preferred embodiment. To the contrary, it is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as can be included within the spirit and scope of the described embodiments as defined by the appended claims.
The following disclosure relates to a flexible sensor that is configured to detect user inputs, such as force inputs and/or touch inputs. The flexible sensor is also configured to be bent, twisted, shaped, or otherwise manipulated. For example, the flexibility of the sensor allows the sensor to be positioned at more favorable locations within the electronic device to improve the operation of the flexible sensor. In some instances, the flexible sensor may be bent to conform along a contoured surface, or to fit within the open or accessible areas, in an electronic device. A contoured surface includes any two sections of the surface (or more than two sections of the surface) that abut one another at a non-zero angle.
In some embodiments, the surface can be a surface of a component (e.g., physical, structural, mechanical) within an electronic device. In other embodiments, the component may be an object that interacts with (e.g., attaches to) an electronic device and the surface is a surface of the object. For example, the object may be a band that attaches to an electronic device and the flexible sensor can conform to the surface of the band (e.g., a watch and watchband). The watchband can include a flexible sensor that conforms to the shape of the watchband.
In a particular embodiment, a flexible sensor includes a compliant layer situated between two flexible circuits or substrate layers. The compliant layer is formed with a first compliant material and a second compliant material that is more deformable or compressible than the first compliant material. In some embodiments, the second compliant material comprises air or gaps that are formed within the first compliant material. The gaps permit at least one of the first or the second substrate layer or flexible circuit in the flexible sensor to bend, twist, or otherwise be manipulated. In some instances, the first compliant material is displaced into the gaps in response to a user input (e.g., a force input), which allows the flexible sensor to deform or compress at the sections that include the first compliant material.
Additionally or alternatively, the gaps may be formed at select locations in the first compliant material to influence the performance, or to produce a given performance, of the flexible sensor. The transitions between the first compliant material and the second compliant material permit the sensitivity and stiffness of the flexible sensor to be tuned to a given sensitivity and/or stiffness, or set within a given sensitivity range and/or stiffness range. Defining sections of the flexible sensor to have reduced stiffness can provide resistance to shear and/or provide improved contouring and bend performance.
In some instances, mechanical, electrical, and/or structural components can be nested in one or more gaps in the flexible sensor. For example, one or more electrical contacts and/or electrical components may be positioned in a gap and electrically connected to one or both substrate layers (e.g., flexible circuits). Example electrical contacts include, but are not limited to, test points, interconnects, and electrodes for capacitive sensing. The electrodes may be used to detect the bending, twisting, or manipulation of the flexible sensor.
A bonding structure may be attached to the first and the second flexible circuits or substrate layers. The bonding structure can increase the resistance of the first compliant material to shear forces when the flexible sensor is bent, twisted, or otherwise manipulated. Additionally or alternatively, the bonding structure may improve the contouring and bend performance of the flexible sensor.
These and other embodiments are discussed below with reference to
Directional terminology, such as “top”, “bottom”, “front”, “back”, “leading”, “trailing”, etc., is used with reference to the orientation of the Figure(s) being described. Because components of embodiments described herein can be positioned in a number of different orientations, the directional terminology is used for purposes of illustration only and is in no way limiting. When used in conjunction with layers of an electronic component (e.g., a sensor), the directional terminology is intended to be construed broadly, and therefore should not be interpreted to preclude the presence of one or more intervening layers or other intervening features or elements. Thus, a given layer that is described as being formed, positioned, or situated on or over another layer, or that is described as being formed, positioned, or situated below or under another layer may be separated from the latter layer by one or more additional layers or elements.
The first and the second compliant materials 108, 110 can each be formed with any suitable compressible or deformable material(s). As one example, the first compliant material 108 is made of a polymer material (e.g., silicone) and the second compliant material 110 can be air. The section or sections of the compliant layer 102 that include air may be formed by removing a section of the first compliant material 108 to form a gap or a partial gap in the first compliant material 108.
In other embodiments, the first compliant material 108 is a polymer and the second compliant material 110 may be a gel or a foam that is more compressible or deformable than the polymer. Generally, one compliant material (e.g., the second compliant material 110) is more deformable or compressible than the other compliant material (e.g., first compliant material 108). The type of material used in the second compliant material 110 is based at least in part on the function of the flexible sensor (e.g., type of user input sensed) and the degree of manipulations (e.g., bends) in the flexible sensor 100. The material in the second compliant material 110 can differ when the first and second substrates 104, 106 in one flexible sensor 100 will be bent at a greater angle than the first and second substrate layers in another flexible sensor.
The flexible sensor 100 can be configured as any type of a user input sensor. An example user input sensor includes, but is not limited to, a touch sensor, a force sensor, a displacement sensor, and a proximity sensor. Accordingly, the user input sensor can include any suitable input-sensing element or elements that detect a user input through capacitance sensing, optical sensing, pressure sensing, resistive sensing, magnetic sensing, temperature sensing, and the like. For example, the input-sensing elements can be one or more electrodes, piezoelectric components, magnetic components, ultrasonic components, and/or optical components.
For example, one or more flexible sensors may be included in a strap or a band that is worn on a body part of a user (e.g., on the user's wrist). The flexible sensor is configured to adjust its shape so that the flexible sensor conforms to the shape of the band when the user is wearing the band and when the user is not wearing the band. Additionally, the flexible sensor is configured to adjust to changes in the shape of the band while the user is wearing the band. Such adjustments may permit the flexible sensor to remain operable regardless of the band's shape.
Additionally, a flexible sensor can be included in other types of electronic devices. For example, an electronic device can be a tablet computing device, a digital music player, a gaming device, a touchscreen, a remote control, a smart telephone, and any other suitable electronic device.
An enclosure 202 can form an outer surface or partial outer surface for the internal components of the electronic device 200. The enclosure 202 at least partially surrounds a display 204 and optionally one or more input/output (I/O) devices 206. The enclosure 202 can be formed of one or more components operably connected together, such as a front piece and a back piece. Alternatively, the enclosure 202 can be formed of a single piece operably connected to the display 204. The enclosure 202 can be formed of any suitable material, including, but not limited to, plastic and metal. In the illustrated embodiment, the enclosure 202 is formed into a substantially rectangular shape, although this configuration is not required.
The display 204 can provide a visual output to the user. The display 204 can be implemented with any suitable technology, including, but not limited to, a multi-touch sensing touchscreen that uses a liquid crystal display (LCD) element, a light emitting diode (LED) element, an organic light-emitting display (OLED) element, an organic electroluminescence (OEL) element, or another type of display element. In some embodiments, the display 204 can function as an input device that allows the user to interact with the electronic device 200. For example, the display can include a touch sensing device that allows the display to function as a multi-touch display.
In some embodiments, a cover layer 208 can be positioned over a top surface of the display 204 and the electronic device 200. The cover layer can be a transparent cover layer when the cover layer is positioned over the display (or the portion of the cover layer overlying the display may be transparent). The cover layer 208 may be made of any suitable material, such as glass, plastic, or sapphire.
In some embodiments, the electronic device can include one or more flexible sensors that are each configured to detect user inputs. Example user inputs include, but are not limited to, touch and/or force inputs. A flexible sensor or sensors can be positioned over, below, and/or around the display 204, in or below the I/O devices 206, below the cover layer 208, and/or below the enclosure 202.
In some embodiments, the flexible sensor 210 can seal the space or the junction between the top surface of the ledge 212 and the bottom surface of the cover layer 208. In one embodiment, the flexible sensor 210 is a continuous flexible sensor that extends completely around the internal perimeter of the cover layer 208 (see e.g., flexible sensor 300 in
The flexible sensor 210 can include any suitable circuitry or components that support the operations and functionality of the flexible sensor 210. In a non-limiting example, the flexible sensor 210 is a force sensor that includes a first set of input-sensing elements 214 and a second set of input-sensing elements 216. In one embodiment, the first and the second sets of input-sensing elements 214, 216 each include one or more electrodes. The one or more electrodes in the first set of input-sensing elements 214 can be formed within the first substrate layer 218 or on a surface of the first substrate layer 218. Similarly, the one or more electrodes in the second set of input-sensing elements 216 can be formed within a second substrate layer 220 or on a surface of the second substrate layer 220. In one non-limiting example, the first and the second substrate layers 218, 220 can each be a flexible printed circuit. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that different types of substrate layers can be used in other embodiments.
Each electrode in the first set of input-sensing elements 214 is aligned in at least one direction (e.g., vertically) and paired with a respective electrode in the second set of input-sensing elements 216 such that each pair of electrodes forms a capacitor. The flexible sensor 210 is configured to produce changes in capacitance based on force inputs applied to the cover layer 208. The capacitance of one or more capacitors in the flexible sensor 210 may vary when a force is applied to the cover layer 208. A processing device (not shown) operably connected to the flexible sensor 210 can correlate the changes in capacitance to an amount of force (or to changes in force). The user can apply the force to the cover layer 208 with a body part (e.g., a finger) or with an input device, such as a stylus.
The flexible sensor 210 can be configured to detect a different type of user input in addition to, or as an alternative to, force inputs. For example, the flexible sensor 210 may be constructed to detect touch inputs instead of force inputs based on capacitance changes. In such embodiments, one set of input-sensing elements (e.g., input-sensing elements 216) can be omitted from the flexible sensor 210. In another embodiment, one set of input-sensing elements (e.g., input-sensing elements 216) can include one electrode that functions as a reference plane (e.g., a ground plane) and/or that shields the other set of input-sensing elements (e.g., input-sensing elements 214) from electrical interference.
In other embodiments, the flexible sensor 210 can be constructed with different circuitry and/or components. For example, the flexible sensor 210 can be implemented as an optical displacement sensor, a piezoelectric force sensor, or an ultrasonic touch sensor. In such embodiments, the flexible sensor 210 includes the appropriate type(s) of input-sensing elements. For example, the first and/or the second set of input-sensing elements 214, 216 can be ultrasonic transducers when the flexible sensor 210 is configured as an ultrasonic touch sensor.
A compliant layer 222 is positioned between the first and the second substrate layers 218, 220. The compliant layer 222 is configured to provide elastic compression or deformation to the flexible sensor 210 based on user inputs (e.g., a force input) applied to the cover layer 208. Additionally, in the illustrated embodiment, the compliant layer 222 is a dielectric for the one or more capacitors that are formed by the pairs of electrodes in the first and the second sets of input-sensing elements 214, 216.
The compliant layer 222 includes first and second compliant materials 224, 226 (e.g., different compressible or deformable materials). As described earlier, one compliant material (e.g., the second compliant material 226) is more deformable or compressible than the other compliant material (e.g., first compliant material 224). In some embodiments, the spring constant of the second compliant material 226 is less than the spring constant of the first compliant material 224. The first and the second compliant materials 224, 226 can each be formed with any suitable compressible or deformable material(s). In one example, the first compliant material 224 may be made of a polymer material (e.g., silicone) and the compliant material 226 can be air. In other embodiments, the first compliant material 224 may be made of a polymer material (e.g., silicone) and the compliant material 226 can be formed with a gel or a foam.
In some embodiments, when the second compliant material 226 is air, a gap may be formed in one or more sections of the first compliant material 224. The gap can be a partial gap that does not extend from the first substrate layer 218 to the second substrate layer 220. For example, the second compliant material 226 may extend from the second substrate layer 220 to a point (e.g., a midpoint) within the first compliant material 224. Alternatively, the second compliant material 226 can reside within a gap that is formed within the first compliant material 224 and does not extend to the first and the second substrate layers 218, 220 (e.g., a hole in the first compliant material 224).
As discussed in more detail in conjunction with
Additionally or alternatively, the first and the second compliant materials 224, 226 provide the flexible sensor 210 with different sensitivities or responsiveness to a user input, such as a force input. For example, because the second compliant material 226 is more compressible or deformable than the first compliant material 224, the section(s) of the flexible sensor 210 that include the second compliant material 226 are more sensitive or responsive to a force input. The section(s) that include the second compliant material 226 respond to force inputs that have relatively smaller magnitudes of force because the sections(s) are more easily displaced (e.g., compressed or deformed). Thus, the section(s) of the flexible sensor 210 that include the second compliant material 226 can be used to detect a greater range of force inputs compared to the section(s) of the bendable or flexible sensor 210 that include the first compliant material 224.
Additionally, as will be described in more detail in conjunction with
The flexible sensor 210 is attached to the cover layer 208 and to the ledge 212 using adhesive layers 228, 230, respectively. The first adhesive layer 228 is positioned between the second substrate layer 220 and the bottom surface of the cover layer 208. The second adhesive layer 230 is positioned between the first substrate layer 218 and the top surface of the ledge 212. Any suitable adhesive material can be used in the first and the second adhesive layers 228, 230. In one embodiment, the first and the second adhesive layers 228, 230 are pressure sensitive adhesive layers.
When the flexible sensor 210 is used as a force sensor, one substrate layer (e.g., the first substrate layer 218) is used as a drive layer that is configured to transmit drive signals to the electrode(s) in the first set of input-sensing elements 214. The other substrate layer (e.g., the second substrate layer 220) is used as a sense layer that is configured to receive sense signals from the electrode(s) in the second set of input-sensing elements 216. A processing device (e.g., processing device 1604 in
In the illustrated embodiment, an opening 302 is formed between the inside edges 304 of the flexible sensor 300. The opening is positioned within the enclosure of the electronic device 200 (e.g., the area inside the perimeter of the enclosure). The corners 306 of the flexible sensor are rounded or bent to allow the flexible sensor 300 to conform to the shape of the internal perimeter of the enclosure 202.
The straighter sections or sides of the flexible sensor 300 include the first compliant material 224. The first and the second substrate layers 218, 220 (e.g., flexible circuits) are situated on respective sides of the first and the second compliant materials 224, 226. Because the first compliant material 224 is less deformable or compressible than the second compliant material 226, the first compliant material 224 may provide some support to the flexible sensor 300. Additionally, in some situations, the first compliant material 224 may be displaced into the second compliant material 226 in response to a user input (e.g., an applied force).
In some embodiments, a bonding structure (see the bonding structure 1210 in
The flexible sensor 500 includes sections that have the first compliant material 224 and sections that have the second compliant material 226 (
In other embodiments, the flexible sensor 500 can be configured to fit in areas that do not include physical components (e.g., electrical components, structural components, and/or mechanical components). In other words, the flexible sensor 500 may be bent, shaped, twisted, or otherwise manipulated to fit into open or accessible areas (areas that are absent any physical components). In still other embodiments, the flexible sensor 500 can be bent, shaped, twisted, or otherwise manipulated to fit into areas that include physical components and are absent of physical components.
When a force is applied to a rounded corner, the first substrate layer 218 and the second compliant material 226 deform or compress. In response to the compression or deformation, the distance D2 changes (e.g., becomes shorter), which varies the capacitance of the capacitor(s) associated with the rounded corner. The amount of the distance change is based on the magnitude of the applied force and the spring constant of the second compliant material 226. Sense signals received from the capacitor(s) represent the capacitance values of the capacitors. The magnitude of the applied force can be determined using the sense signals and the compensation values to adjust for the different baseline capacitance values.
As described earlier, the first and the second compliant materials (e.g., 224, 226 in
The first flexible circuit 606 includes electrodes 610, 612 and the second flexible circuit 608 includes electrodes 614, 616. The electrodes 610, 614 are aligned vertically to form a first capacitor. When a user presses on (e.g., applies a force input with finger 618) the flexible sensor 600 over the electrode 610, the first flexible circuit 606, the electrode 610, and the first compliant material 602 are displaced (e.g., deform or compress). It should be noted that in other embodiments, a user may press on an input surface (e.g., cover layer 208) and the applied force is transferred to, and detected by, the flexible sensor 600.
In response to the displacement, a distance between the electrodes 610, 614 changes by a first amount (e.g., distance becomes shorter), which varies the capacitance of the first capacitor. The amount of the distance change between the electrodes 610, 614 is based on the amount of force applied by the user and the spring constant of the first compliant material 602. In some embodiments, the first compliant material 602 may be displaced into the second compliant material 604 in response to the applied force.
Similarly, the electrodes 612, 616 are aligned vertically to form a second capacitor. When a user presses on (e.g., applies a force input with finger 620) the flexible sensor 600 over the electrode 612, the first flexible circuit 606, the electrode 612, and the second compliant material 604 are displaced (e.g., deform or compress). In response to the compression or deformation, a distance between the electrodes 612, 616 changes by a second amount (e.g., becomes shorter), which varies the capacitance of the second capacitor. The amount of the distance change between the electrodes 612, 616 is based on the amount of force applied by the user and the spring constant of the second compliant material 604.
Because the second compliant material 604 is more deformable or compressible than the first compliant material 602, the spring constant of the second compliant material 604 is less than the spring constant of the first compliant material 602. Accordingly, when the applied force has the same magnitude, the capacitance of the second capacitor will vary more than the capacitance of the first capacitor because the distance between the electrodes 612, 616 will change more compared to the distance between the electrodes 610, 614. In other words, the second capacitor is more sensitive to applied forces than the first capacitor. Thus, the second capacitor can detect forces that have smaller magnitudes compared to the first capacitor, which allows the second capacitor to detect a greater range of force magnitudes.
Because the second compliant material 708 is more deformable or compressible than the first compliant material 706, the first and/or the second substrate layers 702, 704 in the sections of the flexible sensor 700 that include the second compliant material 708 are more bendable, flexible, and/or shapeable than the first and/or the second substrate layers 702, 704 in the sections that include the first compliant material 706. In the illustrated embodiment, the first and the second substrate layers 702, 704 in the sections of the flexible sensor 700 that include the second compliant material 708 are capable of being bent to a point where the first and the second substrate layers 702, 704 are twisted or rotated about each other (see section 710). Thus, in some embodiments, the flexible sensor 700 is configured to be shaped into a helical or spiral configuration.
The first and the second substrate layers 702, 704 can each include one or more input-sensing elements. For example, in one embodiment the first substrate layer 702 includes electrodes that are paired with respective electrodes in the second substrate layer 704, the capacitors formed by the electrode pairs can be used to detect the amounts of force that are applied to the first substrate layer 702 and/or to the second substrate layer 704. As described earlier, since the capacitors in the sections that include the second compliant material 708 are more responsive or sensitive to applied forces, the capacitors in the sections that include the second compliant material 708 can detect a greater range of force magnitudes. The capacitors in the sections that include the second compliant material 708 can detect relatively small magnitudes of force up to larger magnitudes of force compared to the sections that include the first compliant material 706.
Additionally, the capacitors can be used to detect the amount of twist in the first and the second substrate layers 702, 704 in the flexible sensor 700. As the flexible sensor 700 bends or twists at the sections that include the second compliant material 708, the first and the second substrate layers 702, 704 move closer together, which varies the capacitances of the capacitors in the sections that include the second compliant material 708. A processing device (not shown) can receive sense signals from the capacitors and correlate the sense signals into an amount of force.
Additionally, the distance or area between the first and the second substrate layers 702, 704 can be determined based on the known spring constants of the first and the second compliant materials 706, 708. The radius of the curves in the first and the second substrate layers 702, 704 may be calculated based on known trigonometry principles.
Like the embodiment shown in
As described earlier, one or more sections of a compliant layer can be patterned or shaped to complement the contours in one or more surfaces or physical components in an electronic device.
One or more of the first, the second, and the third circles 804, 806, 808 may or may not extend through the compliant layer 800 to form an opening in the compliant layer 800. In other words, the first, second, and third circles 804, 806, 808 may each be partial gaps or unfilled spaces that do not produce an opening through the compliant layer 800. Alternatively, one or more of the first, second, and third circles 804, 806, 808 may produce an opening through the compliant layer 800.
The compliant layer 800 also includes a second gap 810 that is formed with two gaps 812, 814. The first and second gaps 812, 814 have different shapes and different depths. For example, the first gap 812 is depicted as a rectangle with rounded corners and the second gap 814 is located within the first gap 812 (e.g., along two edges of the first gap 812). In the illustrated embodiment, the second gap 814 can have a different amount of compliant material that is removed compared to the first gap 812 such that the second gap 814 has a greater depth than the first gap 812. The second gap 814 may or may not extend through the compliant layer 800 to form an opening through the compliant layer 800.
In some embodiments, one or more physical components (e.g., electrical, structural, and/or mechanical components) can be situated in one or more unfilled spaces in a compliant layer.
The second compliant material 908 is a gap or unfilled space that is positioned between sections of the first compliant material 906. The first flexible circuit 902 extends into the unfilled space to contact the second flexible circuit 904. One or more electrical connections 910, 912 are formed between the second flexible circuit 904 and the section of the first flexible circuit 902 that is positioned in the unfilled space.
As described earlier, one or more input-sensing elements may be included in the first substrate layer and/or the second substrate layer 1002. In one embodiment, one or more electrodes can be situated in the first substrate layer and/or the second substrate layer 1002. As described earlier, the electrodes can be used to detect force and/or touch inputs.
In some embodiments, one or more physical components may be included in the unfilled space (e.g., the second compliant material 1006). The physical component(s) can be electrical components, mechanical components, and/or structural components. For example, one or more electrical contacts 1008 can reside in the gap or unfilled space and be coupled to the second substrate layer 1002 (e.g., a flexible circuit). Example electrical contacts 1008 include, but are not limited to, test points, interconnects, and capacitive sensing pads.
Additionally, one or more electrical circuits 1010 (e.g., an integrated circuit) may be situated in the unfilled space and coupled to one or both of the first substrate layer or the second substrate layer 1002. In some instances, a flexible circuit 1012 can couple to the electrical circuit 1010 to transmit signals to and/or from the electrical circuit 1010. For example, in one embodiment, the electrical circuit 1010 may be a processing device that is configured to receive signals from the input-sensing elements in the first substrate layer and/or in the second substrate layer 1002.
In some embodiments, the first substrate layer can extend over and cover the second compliant material 1006 (e.g., unfilled space). In other embodiments, the first substrate layer is shaped, or a portion of the first substrate layer is removed, so at least a portion of the second compliant material 1006 (e.g., unfilled space) is exposed.
The flexible sensor 1100 is configured to be bent, twisted, or otherwise manipulated in the section that includes the second compliant material 1108. In particular, at least one of the first or the second flexible circuit 1102, 1104 is configured to be bent, twisted, or otherwise manipulated in the section that includes the second compliant material 1108. Additionally, the flexible sensor 1100 is configured to detect user inputs, such as force inputs and/or touch inputs. As such, the first flexible circuit 1102 and the second flexible circuit 1104 can both include input-sensing elements, such as electrodes. As described earlier, the capacitor(s) formed by the electrodes detect force inputs based on capacitance values (or changes in capacitance values).
In some embodiments, one or more vias 1110 may be formed through the first compliant material 1106. An electrical connector (not shown) can reside in the via(s) 1110 and electrically connect the first flexible circuit 1102 to the second flexible circuit 1104.
In some implementations, the flexible sensor 1100 may be configured to detect touch inputs using only one or more input-sensing elements 1112. For example, the input-sensing element(s) 1112 can be electrodes that detect touch inputs through self-capacitive sensing. For example, a conductive object (e.g., a finger) on an input surface (e.g., cover layer 208 in
Like the embodiment shown in
A first compliant material 1207 is positioned between the first and second flexible circuits 1102, 1104. A second compliant material 1212 is more deformable or compressible than the first compliant material 1207. In some embodiments, the spring constant of the second compliant material 1212 is less than the spring constant of the first compliant material 1207. The one or more input-sensing elements 1112 are positioned between the first compliant material 1207 and the second flexible circuit 1104. Contacts 1208 provide an electrical connection between the sense and ground shield traces 1206 and the input-sensing element(s) 1112. A bonding structure 1210 is affixed between the first and the second flexible circuits 1102, 1104 at the transitions between the first and the second compliant materials 1207, 1212. The bonding structure 1210 can reduce shear in the first compliant material 1207 when the flexible sensor 1100 (e.g., the first and/or the second flexible circuit 1102, 1104) is bent, twisted, or otherwise manipulated.
Additionally, the size and dimensions of the sections that include the second compliant material 1212 and/or the transitions between the first compliant material 1207 and the second compliant material 1212 may permit the sensitivity and stiffness of the flexible sensor 1100 to be tuned to a given sensitivity and/or stiffness, or set within a given sensitivity range and/or stiffness range. The sections in the flexible sensor 1100 that include the second compliant material 1212 (which provide a lower stiffness to the flexible sensor 1100) can increase the resistance to shear forces and/or improve the contouring and bend performance of the flexible sensor 1100.
As described in conjunction with
Additionally or alternatively, the gaps may be formed at select locations to produce a given performance of the flexible sensor. In some situations, the transitions between the first compliant material and the unfilled spaces permit the sensitivity and stiffness of the flexible sensor to be tuned to a given sensitivity and/or stiffness, or set within a given sensitivity range and/or stiffness range. Defining sections of the flexible sensor to have reduced stiffness provides resistance to shear and/or provides improved contouring and bend performance.
Any suitable method may be used to form the gaps in the compliant layer. Example methods include, but are not limited to, machining out sections of the compliant layer, laser cutting the compliant layer, etching the compliant layer, and/or manually removing sections of the compliant layer.
Next, as shown in block 1504, the compliant layer may be positioned between and attached to two substrate layers to produce a flexible sensor. One or both substrate layers can include input-sensing elements. Example input-sensing elements include, but are not limited to, electrodes, strain gauges, piezoelectric structures, ultrasonic transducers, optical emitters and detectors, and the like.
The flexible sensor is then positioned in an electronic device at block 1506. The substrate layers in the flexible sensor may be bent, twisted, or otherwise manipulated to conform to a surface of a physical component and/or to be situated in an area that does not include any physical components. In some instances, the flexible sensor is arranged in the electronic device to allow a user input to bend, twist, or otherwise manipulate (or further bend, twist, or manipulate) the flexible sensor.
In some embodiments, the method can be used to produce multiple flexible sensors. For example, a roll-to-roll process can be used to produce multiple flexible sensors. A sheet of compliant material can be processed to form gaps in the sheet of compliant material. The gaps may be produced by machining out sections of the sheet of compliant material, laser cutting the sheet of compliant material, etching the sheet of compliant material, manually removing sections of the sheet of compliant material, and so on. The processed sheet of compliant layer may then be bonded to two sheets of substrate layers or flexible circuits to produce a flexible sensor sheet. Individual flexible sensors may then be formed by cutting or singulating the flexible sensor sheet.
Alternatively, in other embodiments, the sheet of compliant material is bonded to one sheet of a first substrate layer prior to the formation of the gaps. Thereafter, the gaps are formed in the sheet of compliant material. A sheet of a second substrate layer is then affixed to the processed sheet of compliant material to produce a flexible sensor sheet. Individual flexible sensors may then be formed by cutting or singulating the flexible sensor sheet.
The compliant layer may be a sheet of compliant material that is subsequently cut or singulated to form individual compliant layers for multiple flexible sensors. As discussed earlier, after the gaps are formed in the sheet of compliant material, the sheet of compliant material can be singulated to form individual compliant layers for multiple flexible sensors.
The one or more flexible sensors 1602 can be configured to sense or detect substantially any type of user input. Example user inputs include, but are not limited to, touch inputs and/or force inputs. Accordingly, the flexible sensor(s) 1602 can include any suitable type of input-sensing element. For example, the input-sensing elements can be one or more electrodes that are included in one or both of the first and the second flexible circuits or substrate layers of at least one flexible sensor 1602. In some embodiments, the flexible sensor(s) are configured as one or more of the example flexible sensors shown in
The one or more processing devices 1604 can control some or all of the operations of the electronic device 1600. The processing device(s) 1604 can communicate, either directly or indirectly, with substantially all of the components of the electronic device 1600. For example, one or more system buses 1612 or other communication mechanisms can provide communication between the processing device(s) 1604, the flexible sensor(s) 1602, the memory 1606, the network interface 1608, and/or the power source 1610. In some embodiments, the processing device(s) 1604 can be configured to receive output or sense signals from the flexible sensor(s) 1602 and determine at least one characteristic of a user input based on the output or sense signals. For example, when a flexible sensor is configured as a capacitive force sensor, the processing device(s) 1604 may receive sense signals from the capacitive force sensor and correlate the sense signals to a force magnitude.
The processing device(s) 1604 can be implemented as any electronic device capable of processing, receiving, or transmitting data or instructions. For example, the one or more processing devices 1604 can be a microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signal processor (DSP), or combinations of multiple such devices. As described herein, the term “processor” is meant to encompass a single processor or processing unit, multiple processors, multiple processing units, or other suitably configured computing element or elements.
The memory 1606 can store electronic data that can be used by the electronic device 1600. For example, the memory 1606 can store electrical data or content such as, for example, audio files, document files, timing and control signals, spring constants for the first and second compliant materials (e.g., the first and second compliant materials 224, 226 in
The network interface 1608 can receive data from a user or one or more other electronic devices. Additionally, the network interface 1608 can facilitate transmission of data to a user or to other electronic devices. The network interface 1608 can receive data from a network or send and transmit electronic signals via a wireless or wired connection. For example, the one or more characteristics of a user input that are determined by the processing device(s) 1604 can be transmitted to another electronic device.
Examples of wireless and wired connections include, but are not limited to, cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Ethernet. In one or more embodiments, the network interface 1608 supports multiple network or communication mechanisms. For example, the network interface 1608 can pair with another device over a Bluetooth network to transfer signals to the other device while simultaneously receiving signals from a Wi-Fi or other wired or wireless connection.
The one or more power sources 1610 can be implemented with any device capable of providing energy to the electronic device 1600. For example, the power source 1610 can be a battery. Additionally or alternatively, the power source 1610 can be a wall outlet that the electronic device 1600 connects to with a power cord. Additionally or alternatively, the power source 1610 can be another electronic device that the electronic device 1600 connects to via a wireless or wired connection (e.g., a connection cable), such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable.
The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the described embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the specific details are not required in order to practice the described embodiments. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of the specific embodiments described herein are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not targeted to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings.
This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/396,784, filed on Sep. 19, 2016, and entitled “Flexible Sensor Configured To Detect User Inputs,” which is incorporated by reference as if fully disclosed herein.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
5212356 | English | May 1993 | A |
5541372 | Baller | Jul 1996 | A |
5748177 | Baker et al. | May 1998 | A |
5920303 | Baker et al. | Jul 1999 | A |
6029214 | Dorfman et al. | Feb 2000 | A |
6429846 | Rosenberg et al. | Aug 2002 | B2 |
6585435 | Fang | Jul 2003 | B2 |
6757002 | Cross | Jun 2004 | B1 |
6822640 | Derocher | Nov 2004 | B2 |
7339577 | Sato | Mar 2008 | B2 |
7364337 | Park | Apr 2008 | B2 |
7364339 | Park | Apr 2008 | B2 |
7538760 | Hotelling | May 2009 | B2 |
7683890 | Geaghan | Mar 2010 | B2 |
7834855 | Hotelling et al. | Nov 2010 | B2 |
7839379 | Kerr | Nov 2010 | B1 |
7843438 | Onoda | Nov 2010 | B2 |
7847789 | Kolmykov-Zotov et al. | Dec 2010 | B2 |
7884315 | Andre et al. | Feb 2011 | B2 |
7893921 | Sato | Feb 2011 | B2 |
7999792 | Tsuji | Aug 2011 | B2 |
8022942 | Bathiche | Sep 2011 | B2 |
8063893 | Rosenberg et al. | Nov 2011 | B2 |
8077057 | Ohshita et al. | Dec 2011 | B2 |
8098233 | Hotelling et al. | Jan 2012 | B2 |
8321810 | Heintze | Nov 2012 | B2 |
8330725 | Mahowald | Dec 2012 | B2 |
8334794 | Watanabe | Dec 2012 | B2 |
8335996 | Davidson et al. | Dec 2012 | B2 |
8378975 | Yoon et al. | Feb 2013 | B2 |
8381118 | Minton | Feb 2013 | B2 |
8390481 | Pance et al. | Mar 2013 | B2 |
8432362 | Cheng et al. | Apr 2013 | B2 |
8436816 | Leung et al. | May 2013 | B2 |
8441790 | Pance et al. | May 2013 | B2 |
8502800 | Vier et al. | Aug 2013 | B1 |
8537132 | Ng et al. | Sep 2013 | B2 |
8537140 | Tsai et al. | Sep 2013 | B2 |
8570280 | Stewart et al. | Oct 2013 | B2 |
8592699 | Kessler | Nov 2013 | B2 |
8599141 | Soma | Dec 2013 | B2 |
8642908 | Moran et al. | Feb 2014 | B2 |
8654524 | Pance et al. | Feb 2014 | B2 |
8686952 | Burrough et al. | Apr 2014 | B2 |
8723824 | Myers | May 2014 | B2 |
8743083 | Zanone et al. | Jun 2014 | B2 |
8749523 | Pance et al. | Jun 2014 | B2 |
8766922 | Kim et al. | Jul 2014 | B2 |
8782556 | Badger et al. | Jul 2014 | B2 |
8786568 | Leung et al. | Jul 2014 | B2 |
8804347 | Martisauskas | Aug 2014 | B2 |
8854325 | Byrd et al. | Oct 2014 | B2 |
8859923 | Obata | Oct 2014 | B2 |
8870812 | Alberti et al. | Oct 2014 | B2 |
8952899 | Hotelling | Feb 2015 | B2 |
8960934 | Sung | Feb 2015 | B2 |
8963846 | Lii et al. | Feb 2015 | B2 |
9019207 | Hamburgen et al. | Apr 2015 | B1 |
9019710 | Jeziorek | Apr 2015 | B2 |
9028123 | Nichol et al. | May 2015 | B2 |
9063627 | Yairi et al. | Jun 2015 | B2 |
9098120 | Huh | Aug 2015 | B2 |
9098244 | Roskind | Aug 2015 | B2 |
9104282 | Ichikawa | Aug 2015 | B2 |
9116616 | Kyprianou et al. | Aug 2015 | B2 |
9122330 | Bau et al. | Sep 2015 | B2 |
9195354 | Bulea et al. | Sep 2015 | B2 |
9201105 | Iida et al. | Dec 2015 | B2 |
9213426 | Clifton et al. | Dec 2015 | B2 |
9223352 | Smith et al. | Dec 2015 | B2 |
9244490 | Park | Jan 2016 | B2 |
9250738 | Sharma | Feb 2016 | B2 |
9304599 | Walline | Apr 2016 | B2 |
9317140 | Rosenfeld | Apr 2016 | B2 |
9400579 | Leung et al. | Jul 2016 | B2 |
9575587 | O'Keeffe | Feb 2017 | B2 |
9635267 | Lee et al. | Apr 2017 | B2 |
9640347 | Kwan | May 2017 | B2 |
9753569 | Han et al. | Sep 2017 | B2 |
9811221 | Hayashi | Nov 2017 | B2 |
9908310 | Niu | Mar 2018 | B2 |
9927895 | Ligtenberg | Mar 2018 | B2 |
10114485 | Su | Oct 2018 | B2 |
10146383 | Leung et al. | Dec 2018 | B2 |
10241255 | Zha | Mar 2019 | B2 |
10409412 | Andre et al. | Sep 2019 | B1 |
20040104894 | Tsukada et al. | Jun 2004 | A1 |
20040257345 | Makanae et al. | Dec 2004 | A1 |
20060109258 | Takisawa | May 2006 | A1 |
20060197753 | Hotelling | Sep 2006 | A1 |
20070076859 | Tzvetanov | Apr 2007 | A1 |
20080018611 | Serban | Jan 2008 | A1 |
20080055259 | Plocher et al. | Mar 2008 | A1 |
20080100568 | Koch et al. | May 2008 | A1 |
20080150903 | Chuang | Jun 2008 | A1 |
20080272927 | Woolley et al. | Nov 2008 | A1 |
20090128495 | Kong | May 2009 | A1 |
20090225052 | Liu | Sep 2009 | A1 |
20090284465 | Oki | Nov 2009 | A1 |
20100033354 | Ejlersen | Feb 2010 | A1 |
20100265183 | Mail et al. | Oct 2010 | A1 |
20100271315 | Bathiche | Oct 2010 | A1 |
20100279136 | Bonucci | Nov 2010 | A1 |
20100283741 | Heintze et al. | Nov 2010 | A1 |
20110001706 | Sanford | Jan 2011 | A1 |
20110069021 | Hill | Mar 2011 | A1 |
20110169749 | Ganey et al. | Jul 2011 | A1 |
20120001852 | Ho et al. | Jan 2012 | A1 |
20120050646 | Huang | Mar 2012 | A1 |
20120068933 | Larsen | Mar 2012 | A1 |
20120212443 | Tomimori | Aug 2012 | A1 |
20130002534 | Braun et al. | Jan 2013 | A1 |
20130002573 | Baba | Jan 2013 | A1 |
20130021256 | Manzen | Jan 2013 | A1 |
20130120259 | Piot et al. | May 2013 | A1 |
20130126325 | Curtis et al. | May 2013 | A1 |
20130215122 | McCollum | Aug 2013 | A1 |
20130229350 | Shaw | Sep 2013 | A1 |
20130335329 | Freund | Dec 2013 | A1 |
20140015755 | Hao | Jan 2014 | A1 |
20140043289 | Stern et al. | Feb 2014 | A1 |
20140208262 | Huang | Jul 2014 | A1 |
20140317564 | Odell et al. | Oct 2014 | A1 |
20140347312 | Siska | Nov 2014 | A1 |
20140368455 | Croisonnier et al. | Dec 2014 | A1 |
20150052473 | Kuscher et al. | Feb 2015 | A1 |
20150097780 | Hotelling et al. | Apr 2015 | A1 |
20150123906 | Mehandjiysky et al. | May 2015 | A1 |
20150123907 | Aoki | May 2015 | A1 |
20150205417 | Yairi et al. | Jul 2015 | A1 |
20150223328 | Endoh et al. | Aug 2015 | A1 |
20150283943 | Huebner et al. | Oct 2015 | A1 |
20150293592 | Cheong et al. | Oct 2015 | A1 |
20150297145 | Luna et al. | Oct 2015 | A1 |
20150309589 | Chang | Oct 2015 | A1 |
20160049266 | Stringer et al. | Feb 2016 | A1 |
20160098107 | Morrell | Apr 2016 | A1 |
20160103496 | Degner et al. | Apr 2016 | A1 |
20160111485 | Chida | Apr 2016 | A1 |
20160147440 | Leyon | May 2016 | A1 |
20160231856 | Suwald et al. | Aug 2016 | A1 |
20170033323 | Chida | Feb 2017 | A1 |
20170090594 | Silvanto et al. | Mar 2017 | A1 |
20170090596 | Silvanto et al. | Mar 2017 | A1 |
20170090597 | Silvanto et al. | Mar 2017 | A1 |
20170090654 | Silvanto et al. | Mar 2017 | A1 |
20170249072 | Martin et al. | Aug 2017 | A1 |
20170315622 | Morrell et al. | Nov 2017 | A1 |
20180011548 | Garelli | Jan 2018 | A1 |
20180039351 | Zhu et al. | Feb 2018 | A1 |
20180039376 | Peterson et al. | Feb 2018 | A1 |
20190025954 | Wang et al. | Jan 2019 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
1862732 | Nov 2006 | CN |
101071354 | Nov 2007 | CN |
101482785 | Jul 2009 | CN |
101609383 | Dec 2009 | CN |
101644979 | Feb 2010 | CN |
101675410 | Mar 2010 | CN |
201563116 | Aug 2010 | CN |
102171632 | Aug 2011 | CN |
102200861 | Sep 2011 | CN |
202166970 | Mar 2012 | CN |
102844729 | Dec 2012 | CN |
103164102 | Jun 2013 | CN |
103176691 | Jun 2013 | CN |
203260010 | Oct 2013 | CN |
103384871 | Nov 2013 | CN |
103425396 | Dec 2013 | CN |
103455205 | Dec 2013 | CN |
103577008 | Feb 2014 | CN |
103914196 | Jul 2014 | CN |
104423740 | Mar 2015 | CN |
104834419 | Aug 2015 | CN |
104915002 | Sep 2015 | CN |
205038595 | Feb 2016 | CN |
206147528 | May 2017 | CN |
0189590 | Jun 1986 | EP |
2305506 | Apr 2011 | EP |
2664980 | Nov 2013 | EP |
2980004 | Mar 2013 | FR |
2001175415 | Jun 2001 | JP |
200912612 | Mar 2009 | TW |
201419112 | May 2014 | TW |
WO2007032949 | Mar 2007 | WO |
WO2011159519 | Dec 2011 | WO |
WO2014124173 | Aug 2014 | WO |
WO2014164628 | Oct 2014 | WO |
Entry |
---|
Rekimoto, Jun, “Thumbsense: Automatic Input Mode Sensing for Touch-Based Interactions,” Interaction Laboratory, Sony Computer & Science Laboratories, Inc., 2 pages, Apr. 2003. |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
62396784 | Sep 2016 | US |