# US 2017/0285789 A1 · Pressure sensing display > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0285789 A1 - Document ID: US20170285789A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/083,387 - Filed: 2016-03-29 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-29 - Assignees: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC - Applicants: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC - Inventors: Eliyahu BAREL - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170285789A1 ## CPC - G06F 3/04166: {Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving (Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184)} - G06F 3/0412: {Digitisers structurally integrated in a display} - G06F 3/042: by opto-electronic means - G06F 3/0421: {by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen} - G06F 3/0428: {by sensing at the edges of the touch surface the interruption of optical paths, e.g. an illumination plane, parallel to the touch surface which may be virtual (sensing beam interruptions in a planar beam grid of an optical touch-screen G06F3/0421)} - G06F 3/0442: {using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for transmitting changes in electrical potential to be received by the digitiser} - G06F 3/0443: {using a single layer of sensing electrodes} - G06F 3/0446: {using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes} - G06F 2203/04105: Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position - G06F 2203/04106: Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection - G06F 2203/04107: Shielding in digitiser, i.e. guard or shielding arrangements, mostly for capacitive touchscreens, e.g. driven shields, driven grounds - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A device includes an electronic display formed with a stackup of layers and an array of optical sensing elements embedded on at least one layer of the stackup or on a chassis of the electronic display and a circuit connected to the optical sensing elements. The circuit is configured to relate output from the optical sensing elements to pressure applied on the electronic display. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device comprising: an electronic display formed with a stackup of layers; an array of optical sensing elements embedded on at least one layer of the stackup or on a chassis of the electronic display; and a circuit connected to the optical sensing elements, wherein the circuit is configured to relate output from the optical sensing elements to pressure applied on the electronic display. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the stackup includes a backlight unit (BLU) wherein the optical sensing elements are adapted to detect light along one or more edges of the BLU. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The device of claim 2, wherein the BLU includes a BLU optical stackup and wherein the optical sensing elements are configured to detect light shuttering through the BLU optical stackup in a direction parallel to surfaces of layers in the stackup, wherein the light shuttering is based on bending of the BLU optical stackup at a location of touch interaction with the electronic display. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The device of claim 2, wherein the BLU includes a BLU optical stackup and wherein the optical sensing elements are configured to detect light scattering and reflecting through a transparent layer of the BLU optical stackup in a direction parallel to the surface of transparent layers, wherein the light scattering is based on bending and physical contact of the BLU optical stackup at a location of touch interaction with the electronic display. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The device of claim 2, wherein the optical sensing elements include an array of optical sensing elements on each of at least two adjacent edges of the BLU and wherein location of a touch interaction is identified based on output from the array on each of the at least two adjacent edges. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the stackup includes a thin-film-transistor (TFT) layer and wherein the optical sensing elements are positioned on the TFT layer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The device of claim 6, wherein the optical sensing elements are positioned on backside of the TFT layer with respect to a front face of the electronic display or on a chassis of the display. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the optical sensing elements are photodiodes. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The device of claim 8, wherein the photodiodes are configured to detect light in an infrared (IR) range. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The device of claim 9, comprising one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) embedded on the at least one layer of the stackup, the one or more LEDs positioned to share a line of sight with at least one of the photodiodes. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the optical sensing elements are configured to detect changes in light intensity based on bending and physical contact of the stackup, wherein the bending is based on pressure applied on the display during user touch interaction. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, comprising a capacitive based digitizer sensor integrated on the electronic display. ### Claim 13 A method comprising: providing an electronic display included an array of optical sensing elements embedded on at least one layer of a stackup forming the electronic display; detecting outputs from the optical sensing elements while a user interacts by touch with the electronic display; and reporting a location of the pressure or a level of the pressure based on the outputs detected, wherein the outputs from the optical sensing elements is related to pressure applied on the electronic display based on a defined relationship. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the optical sensing elements are configured to detect light shuttering through a BLU optical stackup included in the electronic display, wherein the light shuttering is based on bending of the BLU optical stackup at a location of touch interaction with the electronic display. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the optical sensing elements are configured to detect light scattering through a transparent layer of a BLU optical stackup included in the electronic display, wherein the light scattering is based on bending and physical contact of the BLU optical stackup at a location of touch interaction with the electronic display. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the optical sensing elements are configured to detect changes in light intensity based on bending and physical contact of the stackup, wherein the bending is based on pressure applied on the electronic display during user touch interaction. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein outputs from the optical sensing elements is related to output from a capacitive based digitizer sensor associated with the electronic display. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, comprising detecting location of a non-conductive object interaction with the electronic display based on outputs from the optical sensing elements. ### Claim 19 A device comprising: an electronic display formed with a stackup of layers; at least one acoustic transducer/receiver pair embedded on at least one layer of the stackup or on a chassis of the display; and a circuit connected to the at least one acoustic transducer/receiver, wherein the circuit is configured to relate output from the acoustic receiver to pressure applied on the electronic display. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The device of claim 19, wherein the acoustic receiver detects bending and physical contact of one or more layers of the stackup.