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US 2019/0056837 A1Published application
Unified Input/Output Interface for Electronic Device
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsSupratik Datta, Christian A. Lightenberg, Karan S. Jain, Asif Hussain
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Components associated with receiving user touch input, receiving user force input, and providing haptic output interface are integrated into a unified input/output interface that includes a transducer substrate formed with a monolithic or multi-layer body having a number of electrodes disposed on surfaces thereof. Electrodes are selected by a controller to provide touch input sensing, force input sensing, and haptic output.
Claims20
A transducer substrate comprising:
- a rectangular body formed from a piezoelectric material that induces an electrically-measureable response when compressed, the rectangular body defining a first surface and a second surface;
- a set of electrodes disposed on the first surface;
- a shared ground electrode disposed on the second surface;
- and
- a piezoelectric stack actuator positioned below the rectangular body and coupled to the shared ground electrode.
2 more elements
An electronic device comprising:
- a rectangular interface surface for receiving touch input and force input from a user;
- a transducer substrate below the rectangular interface surface and comprising:
- a touch and force input layer;
- a haptic output layer comprising at least two piezoelectric stack actuators positioned below and coupled to each of at least two respective corners of the touch and force input layer;
- and
- a shared electrode positioned between the touch and force input layer and the haptic output layer;
- and
- a controller coupled to the transducer substrate and configured to operate the transducer substrate in a force sensing mode, a touch sensing mode, and a haptic output mode;
- wherein:
- each of the at least two piezoelectric stack actuators comprises at least three piezoelectric layers separated by at least two electrode layers.
7 more elements
A transducer substrate comprising:
- a monolithic body formed from a first piezoelectric material and defining a top surface and a bottom surface;
- a first electrode set coupled to the top surface;
- a second electrode set coupled to the bottom surface;
- a piezoelectric stack actuator comprising at least two layers of a second piezoelectric material, the piezoelectric stack actuator disposed relative to an edge of the monolithic body and electrically coupled to at least one electrode of the second electrode set;
- and
- a controller electrically coupled to the first electrode set and the second electrode set and configured to:
- select a first electrode from the first electrode set or the second electrode set;
- select a second electrode from the first electrode set or the second electrode set;
- and
- couple the first electrode and the second electrode to at least one of touch sensing circuitry or force sensing circuitry.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.