Multi-modal vehicle door handle
AssigneeInterlink Electronics, Inc.
InventorsChee Wai Lu, Cheng Seong Lee, Hock Cheng Ng, Wai Jye Chan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A door handle includes a handle body with an external surface, an internal portion, and a mounting feature configured to couple the handle body to a door. The door handle also includes a force sensing element disposed in the internal portion of the handle body. The first force sensing element is configured to measure a force applied to the external surface of the door handle. The door handle further includes a communication element coupled to the force sensing element. The force measured by the force sensing element is used to determine an output function.
Claims20
An interface device comprising:
- an external surface configured to receive a force;
- a plurality of plates coupled to the external surface, each of the plurality of plates physically separated from other of the plurality of plates to provide force isolation between the plurality of plates, at least two of the plurality of plates physically separated by a gap;
- a plurality of force sensing elements, each of the force sensing elements coupled to one of the plurality of plates and configured to measure the force received by the external surface;
- and
- a haptic feedback element positioned so that a portion of the haptic feedback element overlaps at least a portion of the gap.
A device comprising:
- an external surface;
- a first stack coupled to the external surface and configured to measure force received by the external surface;
- a second stack coupled to the external surface and configured to measure force received by the external surface, wherein the first stack is separated from the second stack by a gap;
- and
- a haptic feedback element positioned so that a portion of the haptic feedback element overlaps at least a portion of the gap.
A method, comprising:
- detecting, by a first force sensing element of a first stack, a first force on an external surface of a handle;
- detecting, by a second force sensing element of a second stack, a second force on the external surface of the handle, the first stack is separated from the second stack by a gap;
- and
- causing a haptic feedback element to provide a haptic output in response to one or more of the first force and the second force, wherein the haptic feedback element is positioned so that a portion of the haptic feedback element overlaps at least a portion of the gap.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.