Force Determination Employing Sheet Sensor and Capacitive Array

An electronic device comprising:

• a cover;
• a transparent touch sensor disposed below the cover and configured to detect a location of a touch on the cover;
• a display disposed below the cover;
• a force-sensing structure disposed below the cover and around a perimeter of the display and comprising:
• an upper capacitive electrode;
• a lower capacitive electrode disposed below the upper capacitive electrode;
• a compressible element disposed between the upper and lower capacitive electrodes;
• wherein the force-sensing structure is configured to produce an output that corresponds to an amount of force applied by the touch.

An electronic device comprising:

• a cover;
• a first force-sensing structure disposed along a first edge of the cover and comprising a first pair of capacitive elements separated by a compressible layer;
• and
• a second force-sensing structure disposed along a second edge of the cover and comprising a second pair of capacitive elements separated by the compressible layer.

An electronic device comprising:

• a housing defining an opening;
• a cover disposed within the opening;
• a transparent touch sensor disposed below the cover and configured to detect a location of a touch on the cover;
• a strain-sensitive layer disposed below the cover and configured to produce an output that corresponds to a deflection of the cover;
• and
• a force-sensing structure disposed below the strain-sensitive layer, wherein an air gap is located between the strain-sensitive layer and the sheet sensor.