Apple Inc.

Anirban Chatterjee

Thilaka S Sumanaweera

Thomas J Sullivan

Chad A Bossetti

Xiaoyu Guo

Paras Samsukha

Gopal Valsan

Detecting user contact with one or more electrodes of a physiological signal sensor can be used to ensure physiological signals measured by the physiological signal sensor meet waveform characteristics (e.g., of a clinically accurate physiological signal). In some examples, a mobile and/or wearable device can comprise sensing circuitry, stimulation circuitry, and processing circuitry. The stimulation circuit can drive one or more stimulation signals on one or more electrodes, the resulting signal(s) can be measured (e.g., by the sensing circuitry), and the processing circuitry can determine whether a user is in contact with the electrode(s). Additionally or alternatively, in some examples, mobile and/or wearable device can comprise saturation detection circuitry, and the processing circuitry can determine whether the sensing circuitry is saturated.

Contact detection for physiological sensor

An electronic device includes a surface such as a cover glass, a first group of electrodes coupled to the surface and arranged in a first direction with respect to the surface, a second group of electrodes coupled to the surface and arranged in a second direction with respect to the surface, a dielectric separating the first and second groups of electrodes, and a controller electrically connected to the first and second groups of electrodes. The controller is operable to detect a touch of an object to the surface using a mutual capacitance between the first and second groups of electrodes and determine a non-binary amount of force exerted based on resistances of the first and second groups of electrodes.

Force sensing using touch sensors

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Anirban Chatterjee