Pressure Resistant Force Sensing Enclosure
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorJohn Stephen Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A portable electronic device includes a cover glass, one or more strain gauges operable to indicate force exerted on the cover glass based on deformation of the cover glass, a housing that defines a sway space gap into which the cover glass deforms when the force is exerted on the cover glass, and an incompressible fluid positioned in the sway space gap. The incompressible fluid allows deformation of the cover glass into the sway space gap when the force is exerted on the cover glass and maintains a constant volume under hydrostatic pressure.
Claims21
1-20. (canceled)
A portable electronic device, comprising:
- a touch display comprising:
- a cover glass;
- a display layer;
- and
- a force sensor operable to indicate force exerted on the cover glass based on deformation of the cover glass;
- a housing that defines a gap beneath the display layer and the force sensor into which the cover glass deforms when the force is exerted on the cover glass;
- an incompressible fluid positioned in the gap;
- and
- a processing unit that is operable to determine a location of the force on the cover glass based on an indication from the force sensor.
A portable electronic device, comprising:
- a force and touch sensitive input layer;
- a sensor operable to indicate force exerted on the force and touch sensitive input layer based on deformation of the force and touch sensitive input layer;
- an incompressible material positioned in a gap beneath the sensor and the force and touch sensitive input layer into which the force and touch sensitive input layer deforms when the force is exerted on the force and touch sensitive input layer;
- and
- a processor operable to:
- determine a location on which the force is exerted when a touch input is ignored;
- and
- select an element of a user interface using the determined location.
A portable electronic device, comprising:
- a layer of material;
- a sensor operable to indicate force exerted on the layer of material based on deformation of the layer of material;
- a housing that defines a gap beneath the layer of material and the sensor into which the layer of material deforms when the force is exerted on the layer of material;
- and
- an incompressible fluid positioned in the gap that allows deformation of the layer of material into the gap when the force is exerted on the layer of material and maintains a constant volume under hydrostatic pressure;
- wherein
- the portable electronic device is operable to receive input based on a location of the force on the layer of material as determined using an indication from the sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.