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US 2022/0087553 A1Published application
Pressure Sensing in Portable Electronic Devices
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsChin San Han, Robert K. Montgomery, II
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An interface pressure sensor includes a fluid pressure sensor disposed in a volume defined by a shear wall. The volume is enclosed, and the fluid pressure sensor is encapsulated by, an infill material. The infill material defines a sensing surface that, when pressed, can impart a force that is detectable by the fluid pressure sensor.
Claims25
An electronic device comprising:
- an enclosure defining:
- an interior surface;
- and
- an exterior surface opposite the interior surface;
- an interface pressure sensor at least partially coupled to the interior surface, the interface pressure sensor comprising:
- an outer shear wall defining a module volume;
- and
- an array of pressure sensor modules within the module volume, each pressure sensor module comprising:
- an inner shear wall defining a sensor volume;
- a fluid pressure sensor disposed within the sensor volume;
- and
- an infill encapsulating the fluid pressure sensor within the sensor volume;
- and
- an encapsulation encapsulating the array of pressure sensor modules within the module volume.
11 more elements
A portable electronic device comprising:
- an interface pressure sensor comprising:
- an outer shear wall;
- a set of pressure modules, each comprising:
- an inner shear wall defining an interior volume;
- and
- a fluid pressure sensor within the interior volume;
- and
- an encapsulation infill encapsulating each pressure module within the outer shear wall and each respective fluid pressure sensor within each respective inner shear wall, the encapsulation infill defining at least a portion of an exterior surface of the portable electronic device.
5 more elements
A pressure input sensor for an electronic device, the pressure input sensor comprising:
- a shear wall defining a volume;
- a fluid pressure sensor disposed within the shear wall;
- an application specific integrated circuit conductively coupled to the fluid pressure sensor and configured to sample an electrical property of the fluid pressure sensor, the electrical property corresponding to a magnitude of pressure applied normal to the fluid pressure sensor;
- and
- an encapsulation infill enclosing the fluid pressure sensor and the application specific integrated circuit within the volume.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.