Sensel, Inc.

Alexander Meagher Grau

Ilya Daniel Rosenberg

John Aaron Zarraga

Tomer Daniel Moscovich

Stephanie Jeanne Oberg

Scott Gregory Isaacson

Brogan Carl Miller

Reuben Eric Martinez

Timothy James Miller

Bethany Noel Haniger

Mark Joshua Rosenberg

Bradley James Bozarth

James Frank Thomas

Yibo Yu

Peter Hans Nyboer

Charles Robert Watson

Darren Lochun

Shuangming Li

James Junus

Jacob Terracina

Elliott Chen Wu

The disclosed subject matter provides structures, devices, and methods for environmental compensation of temperature and humidity impacts on resistive force or touch sensor devices. Accordingly, various disclosed embodiments can be configured to determine sheet resistance of a device comprising force-sensing membrane and to apply an environmental compensation factor based on the sheet resistance. Further disclosed embodiments are directed to devices, systems and methods associated with disclosed environmental compensating elements and methods related thereto.

Environmental compensation element of a force-sensing membrane

The present invention relates to touch-sensor detector systems and methods incorporating an interpolated variable impedance touch sensor array and specifically to such systems and methods for force-aware interaction with handheld display devices on one or more surfaces of the device. An exemplary embodiment includes a method for receiving a flexing gesture formed on a sensor panel of the handheld device including determining two or more pressure inputs at the sensor panel and determining a relative pressure between the two or more pressure inputs. The method further includes correlating the relative pressure inputs to the flexing gesture, associating the flexing gesture with a UI element and providing an input to the UI element based on the gesture and the relative pressure between the two or more pressure inputs.

Method and apparatus for variable impedance touch sensor array force aware interaction with handheld display devices

The present invention relates to automotive interface systems and methods. In one embodiment, an automotive interface system includes a steering wheel and an integrated interpolated variable impedance array that comprises a grid of sensing elements. The sensing elements are configured to power on simultaneously and to simultaneously generate multiple currents along multiple current paths in response to sensing a touch wherein the amount of current generated by a sensing element of the grid is directly proportional to the force applied by the touch. The automotive interface system also includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and a processor communicatively coupled to the interpolated variable impedance array that are configured to receive the multiple currents along multiple current paths and determine a location, a duration, an area, and a force of the touch from the multiple currents along multiple current paths.

Method and apparatus for automotive variable impedance touch sensor array

The present invention relates to interpolated variable impedance touch sensor arrays for force-aware large-surface device interaction. An exemplary system for detecting a continuous pressure curve includes a plurality of physical variable impedance array (VIA) columns connected by interlinked impedance columns and a plurality of physical VIA rows connected by interlinked impedance rows. The system also includes a plurality of column drive sources connected to the interlinked impedance columns and to the plurality of physical VIA columns through the interlinked impedance columns as well as a plurality of row sense sinks connected to the interlinked impedance rows and to the plurality of physical VIA rows through the interlinked impedance rows. Further, the system includes a processor configured to interpolate the continuous pressure curve in the physical VIA columns and physical VIA rows from an electrical signal from the plurality of column drive sources sensed at the plurality of row sense sinks.

Method and apparatus for variable impedance touch sensor array force aware interaction in large surface devices

One variation of a system includes: a frame; a sensor module; and a controller. The frame includes: a base structure that locates a display defining a front face of a device; and a lateral frame structure extending along and adjacent an edge of the display and supported on a side of the base structure. The base structure and the lateral frame structure cooperate to define a channel arranged behind the display and extending longitudinally between the lateral frame structure and the side of the base structure. The sensor module is arranged in the channel and includes: a substrate; and a linear array of sensors arranged on the substrate and outputting sense signals representing local deflections of the lateral frame structure. The controller detects locations and force magnitudes of side inputs on the device, proximal the edge of the display, based on sense signals output by the linear array of sensors.

Sensor module and method for detecting and characterizing side inputs at devices

The present invention relates to touch sensor detector systems and methods incorporating an interpolated variable impedance touch sensor array and specifically to such systems and methods for gesture recognition and associating a UI element with the recognized gesture. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a variable impedance array (VIA) system for receiving a gesture that includes: a plurality of physical VIA columns connected by interlinked impedance columns; a plurality of physical VIA rows connected by interlinked impedance rows; and a processor configured to interpolate a location and/or pressure of the gesture in the physical columns and rows from an electrical signal from a plurality of column drive sources (connected to the plurality of physical VIA columns through the interlinked impedance columns) sensed at a plurality of row sense sinks (connected to the plurality of physical VIA rows through the interlinked impedance rows).

Method and apparatus for variable impedance touch sensor array gesture recognition

One variation of a method for interfacing a computer to a human includes: detecting application of a first input onto a touch sensor surface and a first force magnitude of the first input; in response to the first force magnitude exceeding a first threshold magnitude, actuating a vibrator coupled to the touch sensor surface during a first click cycle and triggering an audio driver proximal the touch sensor surface to output a click sound during the first click cycle; detecting retraction of the first input from the touch sensor surface and a second force magnitude of the first input; and, in response to the second force magnitude falling below a second threshold magnitude less than the first threshold magnitude, actuating the vibrator during a second click cycle distinct from the first click cycle and triggering the audio driver to output the click sound during the second click cycle.

System and method for a touch sensor interfacing a computer system and a user

Method and apparatus for variable impedence touch sensor array gesture recognition

The present invention relates to touch sensor systems and methods incorporating an interpolated variable impedance touch sensor array and specifically to such systems and methods for indirect force-aware touch control. An exemplary method for receiving an adjustment gesture formed on or about a plurality of sensor panels on a plurality of faces of a device includes detecting two or more touches at a first time at the plurality of sensor panels and determining that the touches at the first time are arranged in a pattern corresponding to a predetermined gesture. The method further includes determining a relative pressure between the touches, associating the gesture with a user interface element (that accepts an adjustment input based on the relative pressure between the two or more touches) and providing an input to the user interface element based on the gesture and relative pressure between the touches.

Method and apparatus for indirect force aware touch control with variable impedance touch sensor arrays

One variation of a method for manipulating virtual objects within a virtual environment includes: determining a first position of a touch sensor within real space; based on the first position of the touch sensor within real space, bounding a virtual surface of a virtual object within the virtual environment tractable through inputs across the touch sensor; generating a first force vector comprising a magnitude related to a force magnitude of a first input on the touch sensor surface and a direction related to an orientation of the touch sensor within real space; locating an origin of the first force vector within the virtual environment based on a first location of the first input on the touch sensor surface and the first position of the touch sensor within real space; and manipulating the virtual surface of the virtual object within the virtual environment according to the first force vector.

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Durham, NC, United States of America

Alexander Meagher Grau