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US 2009/0020343 A1Published application
Resistive force sensor with capacitive discrimination
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsFletcher R. Rothkopf, Stephen Zadesky
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A resistive force sensor with capacitive discrimination is disclosed. According to an example of the disclosure, a sensor is directed to detect resistance and capacitance in an alternating fashion, the resistance indicating a force being applied to an input area of a device, and the capacitance indicating a proximity of a body part to the input area of the device, and the detected resistance and capacitance are utilized to determine whether the body part has pressed the input area of the device.
Claims2
A method, comprising:
- switching operation of a sensor between a first operation mode and a second operation mode, wherein
- when operating in the first operation mode, the sensor provides a first output responsive to a force applied by an object, and
- when operating in the second operation mode, the sensor provides a second output responsive to a proximity of the object.
2-31. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.