Force sensor interface for touch controller
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsChristoph Horst KRAH, Eugene Lvovich Shoykhet, Martin Paul Grunthaner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A force sensor interface in a touch controller of a touch sensitive device is disclosed. The force sensor interface can couple to touch circuitry to integrate one or more force sensors with touch sensors of the device. The force sensor interface can include one portion to transmit stimulation signals generated by the touch circuitry to the force sensors to drive the sensors. The interface can also include another portion to receive force signals, indicative of a force applied to the device, from the force sensors for processing by the touch circuitry. The device can use the touch circuitry to concurrently and seamlessly operate both the force sensors and the touch sensors.
Claims25
An interface for a touch controller comprising:
- a first portion disposed between a first touch component of the touch controller and a force sensor to drive the force sensor to sense an applied force;
- and
- a second portion disposed between a second touch component of the touch controller and the force sensor to process a force signal from the force sensor indicative of the applied force.
A touch controller comprising:
- a transmit section configured to drive a touch sensor with stimulation signals;
- a receive section configured to process touch signals from the touch sensor in response to the stimulation signals;
- and
- an interface integrated within the transmit section and the receive section to couple a force sensor thereto and configured to send the stimulation signals to the force sensor to drive the force sensor and to receive force signals from the force sensor in response to the stimulation signals,
- wherein the transmit section drives the touch sensor and the force sensor concurrently and the receive section processes the touch signals and the force signals concurrently.
An integrated touch and force sensing device comprising:
- at least one touch sensor;
- at least one force sensor;
- and
- a touch controller configured to integrally couple the touch sensor and the force sensor in the device, the touch controller including
- touch circuitry for driving the touch sensor and processing touch signals from the touch sensor indicating a touch at the device, and
- a force sensor interface integrated with the touch circuitry, the touch circuitry driving the force sensor and processing force signals from the force sensor indicating a force applied to the device.
A method for sensing a touch and a force at a touch sensitive device comprising:
- concurrently stimulating a touch sensor and a force sensor using touch circuitry;
- generating a touch signal by the touch sensor, indicative of a touch at the touch sensor, and a force signal by the force sensor, indicative of a force applied at the force sensor;
- scanning the touch sensor and the force sensor to capture the touch signal and the force signal respectively;
- and
- processing the captured touch and force signals using the touch circuitry.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.