Electronic device user interface
AssigneeAzoteq Holdings Limited
InventorsFrederick Johannes BRUWER, Daniel Barend RADEMEYER, Landolf THERON
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention concerns a robust user interface for electronic devices where a single measurement circuit is used to measured inductance values due to user press events through sealable surface, as well as capacitance values due to user proximity and/or touch events, and with both the measured inductance and capacitance values used to determine user input commands.
Claims20
An interface for discerning user input commands in a portable electronic device, said portable electronic device not comprising a trackpad, and wherein said interface comprises a sealed enclosure having a movable portion receptive of user press events, an inductive coil structure on a substrate positioned on an interior of the sealed enclosure, a first conductive member adjacent a bottom face of the movable portion that is movable relative to the inductive coil structure, a second conductive member that is a capacitive sensing electrode attached to the substrate, a measurement circuit on said substrate that is connected to the inductive coil structure and to the second conductive member, wherein the measurement circuit is configured to detect a user press event by detecting a change of inductance in said inductive coil structure when the first conductive member moves closer to the inductive coil structure in response to a user press event on the movable portion of the sealed enclosure, and wherein the measurement circuit is configured to detect a user touch event based on a capacitance change of the second conductive member during a touch event, and wherein the measurement circuitry is configured, upon detecting a specific sequence of said user press events and said user touch events, to declare a user input command in the portable electronic device.
A method for discerning user input commands in a portable electronic device, said portable electronic device not comprising a trackpad, and wherein the electronic device includes a sealed enclosure having a movable portion receptive of user press events, an inductive coil structure on a substrate positioned on an interior of the sealed enclosure, a first conductive member adjacent a bottom face of the movable portion that is movable relative to the inductive coil structure, a second conductive member that is a capacitive sensing electrode attached to the substrate, a measurement circuit on said substrate that is connected to the inductive coil structure and to the second conductive member, the method comprising the steps of using the measurement circuit to detect a user press event by detecting a change of inductance in said inductive coil structure when the first conductive member moves closer to the inductive coil structure in response to a user press event on the movable portion of the sealed enclosure, using the measurement circuit to detect a user touch event based on a capacitance change of the second conductive member during a touch event, using the measurement circuitry upon detecting a specific sequence of said user press events and said user touch events, to declare a user input command in the portable electronic device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.