Apple's Patent Background

A touch sensor panel can be coupled with an actuator to form a depressible button. For example, a trackpad can include a touch sensor panel with a continuous top surface and a portion of the continuous top surface forming a depressible button.

In some cases, the touch sensing functionality may only be used to determine the touch context when the button is depressed. However, frequently scanning the touch sensor for touch events when the button is not depressed can be an inefficient use of power, especially in mobile devices running on battery power.

Apple Invents Two-Level Touch Sensitive Button

Apple's invention relates to a touch-sensitive depressible button with multiple depression thresholds. A touch-sensitive depressible button can generate input based on a depression of the button or based on a touch event performed on a surface of the button. Additionally, the button can generate input based on both the depression and the touch event.

For example, a button might generate a first input when it is depressed by a finger on a left portion of the surface of the button and a second input when it is depressed by a finger on a right portion of the surface of the button. In this way, a single depressible button can serve multiple functions depending on where it is depressed.

In some embodiments, a touch-sensitive depressible button can only generate input when the button is depressed. Touch events might not be accepted when the button is not depressed. In such a case, the button's touch sensor can be kept in a low power, non-sensing state until the button is depressed, at which point the touch sensor can be switched to a sensing state to provide a touch context for the depression. Conserving power can be especially important in battery-powered devices such as mobile phones. However, the process of switching to a sensing state might take an amount of time too large to provide an immediate touch context for the depression of the button.

Accordingly, a touch-sensitive depressible button can have multiple depression thresholds to facilitate timely switching of the touch sensor to a sensing state.

The button can be depressed from an initial position to a first depression threshold and from the first depression threshold to a second depression threshold. When the button is depressed to the first depression threshold, the touch sensor can be switched from a low-power, non-sensing state to a sensing state. When the button is depressed to the second depression threshold, the touch sensor can sense the touch context and input can be generated based on the depression and the touch context. In some embodiments, the distance from the initial position to the first depression threshold can be so small so as to be imperceptible to a user. Additionally, in some embodiments the distance from the initial position to the second depression threshold can be large enough to be perceived by the user as a complete button depression.

In this way, the touch-sensitive depressible button with multiple depression thresholds can facilitate timely switching of the touch sensor to a sensing state. Additionally, a touch sensing process can have more time to accurately determine the touch context. For example, a touch sensor might switch to a sensing state before the button has been depressed to the second depression threshold. In such a case, the remaining time before the button is depressed to the second depression threshold can be used to begin determining the touch context in advance. Furthermore, the touch sensing process of the depressible button can be initiated by the user, thereby providing a more immediate touch context than with a continual touch sensing process, which can be asynchronous to user contact.

Double Dome Actuator: Apple's patent FIG. 4A illustrates an exemplary touch-sensitive depressible button with a double-dome actuator at an initial depression position; FIG. 4B illustrates an exemplary touch-sensitive depressible button with a double-dome actuator at a first depression threshold; FIG. 4C illustrates an exemplary touch-sensitive depressible button with a double-dome actuator at a second depression threshold.

Self-Capacitive Actuator: Apple's patent FIG. 5A illustrates an exemplary touch-sensitive depressible button with a self-capacitive actuator at an initial depression position; FIG. 5B illustrates an exemplary touch-sensitive depressible button with a self-capacitive actuator at a first depression threshold; FIG. 5C illustrates an exemplary touch-sensitive depressible button with a self-capacitive actuator at a second depression threshold.

Patent Credits

Apple credits Louis Bokma, Joseph Fisher and Saket Vora as the inventors of patent application 20140035856 which was only filed four months ago.

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