Multi-touch force sensing touch-screen devices and methods

摘要

Described are methods and devices including a touch sensor layer configured to receive touch input and a force sensor layer stacked with the touch sensor layer, the force sensor layer includes an array of force sensors configured to receive force input. The force sensor array includes individual force sensors. Specific sensors of the disclosed force sensor array are associated with specific locations of the touch screen to add information that can be used to decipher which key is actually being pressed and may avoid falsing. Both a touch signal and a force signal are utilized to determine the validity of a user touch input. In one embodiment each force sensor may operate independently of the others. Particular embodiments are described that utilize a coarse grid to determine valid touch inputs and that make a determination of a centroid location based on a plurality of force sensors to determine valid touch inputs.

主权项

1. A user input system, comprising:
a touch sensor layer configured to receive touch inputs of a user on a touch screen, wherein the touch screen includes multiple items; a force sensor layer, including an array of force sensors, with each of the force sensors configured to receive force inputs; and a controller configured to:
receive a touch input received on the touch sensor layer, wherein the touch input is simultaneously received on at least two of the multiple items on the touch screen,receive multiple force inputs from the force sensor layer with each force input being from a different one of the multiple force sensors,generate a force value for each of the received force inputs, wherein the generated force values are each associated with a corresponding one of the force sensors,compute a centroid location using the generated force values, wherein the centroid location is a single location that is associated with the generated force values from multiple force sensors, andcalculate a distance from each of the multiple items on the touch screen to the centroid location to validate one of the multiple items as an intended touch.