Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Carl Edward Picciotto

Aric Ahkeel Fitz-Coy

Brian Cox

James Charles Marshall

Robbie Edgar

Henri Antero Autio

Ibrahim Iskender Kushan

Daniel Thomas Nevistic

Oscar Hochun To

Timothy Carlyle Shaw

David Otto Whitt, Iii

Flavio Protasio Ribeiro

Scott Mail

John Jacob Nelson

Andrew E Winter

Steven Nabil Bathiche

Christopher H Kujawski

Dan S Johnson

Michael Schweers

Brian R Cox

Launnie K E Ginn

Gahn Gavyn Yun

Anatoly Yuryevich Churikov

Matthew G Pedersen

Yuan-Chou Chung

Michael R Schweers

Nino Aldrin L Sarmiento

Anthony A Torrence

Niño Aldrin L Sarmiento

Martyn S Jackson

James C Marshall

David Otto Iii Whitt

Dan Johnson

Brian Rush Cox

Scott Mitchel Mail

A method of docking an accessory device includes, at the accessory device, receiving a first transmission energy for wireless charging from an electronic device; in accordance with receiving the first transmission energy: setting a timer, and entering a docked mode; and exiting the docked mode upon expiration of the timer.

Systems and methods for wireless charger docking

A method of docking an accessory device includes, at the accessory device, receiving () a first transmission energy for wireless charging from an electronic device; in accordance with receiving the first transmission energy: setting () a timer, and entering () a docked mode; and exiting () the docked mode upon expiration of the timer.

Example systems described herein are configured to limit inadvertent actuations of a touchpad. The system may include a touchpad, mechanically-activated switch(es), a locking assembly, and a controller. The touchpad is configured to receive a touch input from a user. The mechanically-activated switch(es) are adjacent to the touchpad. The mechanically-activated switch(es) are configured to be activated when a depression force associated with the touch input exceeds a force threshold. The locking assembly is configured to selectively inhibit the touchpad from depressing the mechanically-activated switch(es) depending on whether one or more inhibiting criteria are satisfied. For instance, the inhibiting criteria may take into consideration an inferred intent of the user, an input mode of the touch input, and/or the depression force associated with the touch input.

Limiting inadvertent actuations of a touchpad

A method of adapting the charging of an accessory device includes transmitting a first transmission signal at a first transmission amplitude, measuring a receiving load of the first transmission signal, and if the charging device does not receive a response signal to the first transmission signal, transmitting a second transmission signal at a second transmission amplitude that is different from the first transmission amplitude.

Systems and methods of creating a touch sensitive surface structure comprising a piezo structure in communication with a deformable surface such that the piezo structure, or any suitable pressure sensing device, is capable of sensing pressure from a touch upon the deformable surface and communicating that pressure signal to an actuating circuit. The actuating circuit, upon receiving a suitable pressure signal, sends a piezo actuating signal to the piezo structure. The piezo structure, upon receiving the piezo actuating signal, is capable of communicating a mechanical signal to the deformable surface, sufficient for a person's finger to feel a 'click' and/or haptic sensation. In one embodiment, the piezo actuating signal comprises a first slow charging portion and a second fast discharging portion, sufficient for the piezo structure to communicate the click and/or haptic sensation.

Piezo-actuated virtual buttons for touch surfaces

Inadvertent input control techniques are described. In one or more implementations, techniques are described that leverage force to determine a likelihood that a user intended to provide an input, e.g., a selection input (e.g., a 'click'), gesture, lift off, and so forth. This is usable to identify taps, hovers, continuation of movement of a drag operation, and so on. Implementations are also discussed that leverage an n-manifold in the product space of contact size and signal strength that is usable to define a likelihood of whether a contact includes an application of force. A variety of other examples are also described, including cursor stability techniques that leverage force in order to control movement of a cursor.

Force sensing and inadvertent input control of an input device

Input device haptics and pressure sensing techniques are described. An input device includes an outer surface, a pressure sensor and haptic feedback mechanism, and a pressure sensing and haptic feedback module. The outer surface is configured to receive an application of pressure by an object. The pressure sensor and haptic feedback mechanism has one or more piezos configured to detect and quantify an amount of the application of the pressure to the outer surface by the object, the one or more piezos configured to output a signal indicating the quantified amount of the pressure. The pressure sensing and haptic feedback module is configured to receive the signal from the one or more piezos indicating the quantified amount of the pressure and control the haptic feedback of the pressure sensor and haptic feedback mechanism.

Input device haptics and pressure sensing

Input device configurations are described. In one or more implementations, an input device includes a sensor substrate having one or more conductors and a flexible contact layer spaced apart from the sensor substrate. The flexible contact layer is configured to flex to contact the sensor substrate to initiate an input of a computing device. In one or more implementations, an input device includes a capacitive sensor assembly arranged in an array that is configured to detect a location of an object that is proximal to a respective capacitive sensor of the capacitive sensor assembly and a pressure sensitive sensor assembly including a plurality of pressure sensitive sensor nodes that are configured to detect an amount of pressure applied by the object against a respective pressure sensitive sensor node of the pressure sensitive sensor assembly.

Input device configuration having capacitive and pressure sensors

Force inputs and cursor control

Techniques for haptic feedback for a touch input device are described. Generally, haptic feedback is provided for different user interactions with a touch input device, such as interactions with applications, services, and so forth. According to various embodiments, how haptic feedback is initiated depends on whether different functionalities directly support haptic feedback. For instance, techniques described herein enable haptic feedback to be provided whether or not a particular functionality directly supports haptic feedback.

Haptic feedback for a touch input device

Input device configurations are described. In one or more implementations, an input device includes a sensor substrate having one or more conductors and a flexible contact layer spaced apart from the sensor substrate. The flexible contact layer is configured to flex to contact the sensor substrate to initiate an input of a computing device. The flexible contact layer includes a force concentrator pad that is configured to cause pressure to be channeled through the force concentrator pad to cause the flexible contact layer to contact the sensor substrate to initiate the input. In one or more implementations, an input device includes a capacitive sensor assembly arranged in an array that is configured to detect a location of an object that is proximal to a respective capacitive sensor of the capacitive sensor assembly and a pressure sensitive sensor assembly including a plurality of pressure sensitive sensor nodes that are configured to detect an amount of pressure applied by the object against a respective pressure sensitive sensor node of the pressure sensitive sensor assembly.

In embodiments of a touch-scrolling pad for computer input devices, a touch sensor strip detects touch contacts on a touch-scrolling pad that is implemented for vertical scrolling input and horizontal scrolling input. A selectable button positioned proximate below the touch sensor strip can be selected by an actuation depress input to the touch-scrolling pad. The touch-scrolling pad includes programmed instructions in firmware implemented to determine that a touch contact is one of a vertical scrolling input, a horizontal scrolling input, or the actuation depress input to actuate the selectable button. The touch-scrolling pad also includes a haptic system that generates haptic feedback responsive to either of the vertical scrolling input or the horizontal scrolling input.

Touch-scrolling pad for computer input devices

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Clyde Hill, WA, United States of America

Carl Edward Picciotto