Interlink Electronics, Inc.

Carlos Solis Sanchez

Jeffrey R Baker

James Dexter Tickle

Patrick Harold Bair

Ryan David Redenbaugh

Douglas Mark Patton

John Patrick Murtaugh

Matthew Fumio Yamamoto

Lev Freidin

Declan Christopher Flannery

Michael J Errico

Scott David Alhart

Volodymyr Vlaskin

A sensor system includes a touch screen and a force sensor. The touch screen has a first and second surface and detects a first surface touch and converts it to data indicative of an X, Y coordinate position upon the touch screen first surface. The force sensor contacts the touch screen second surface and substantially extends around the perimeter of the touch screen second surface. The force sensor measures the force exerted by the first surface touch in the form of force data.

Sensor system

A touchpad includes a first substrate and a second substrate, at least one of which is flexible. A resistor on the first substrate has a narrow shape dividing the first substrate into two regions. A set of conductors in electrical contact with the resistor extend from the resistor into the two regions. A second resistor and at least one second substrate conductor in electrical contact with the second resistor are on the second substrate. This construction allows the touchpad to have an outer shape is not restricted by the need for rectangular coordinates.

Shape adaptable resistive touchpad

The present invention determines angular position using a potentiometric touch sensor. The sensor has an annular pattern of resistive material on a portion of a bottom substrate top surface. Conductive drive lines and fixed potential conductive traces radially traverse the bottom substrate top surface and are electrically coupled to the resistive material. Conductive sense traces radially traverse the bottom substrate top surface. A conductive layer on a bottom surface of a top substrate is positioned above the bottom substrate top surface. A pressure applied to the top substrate and/or the bottom substrate electrically couples a portion of a conductive sense trace to a portion of the annular pattern and/or a fixed potential conductive trace. The angular position of the applied pressure is determined by measuring at least one electrical parameter between a conductive drive line and a conductive sense line having the conductive sense traces.

Annular potentiometric touch sensor

The present invention determines angular position using a potentiometric touch sensor. The sensor has an annular pattern of resistive material on a bottom substrate top surface. Conductive drive lines radially traverse the resistive material so as to make electrical connection with the resistive material. A top substrate is spaced above the top surface of the bottom substrate. A conductive sense layer on a bottom surface of the top substrate is positioned above the resistive material. Pressure applied to either the top substrate or the bottom substrate, such as by the touch of a user, causes a portion of the conductive sense layer to contact a corresponding portion of the annular pattern of resistive material. The angular position of the applied pressure can be determined by measuring at least one electrical parameter between at least one of the conductive drive lines and the conductive sense layer.

The cost and complexity of an electronic pressure sensitive transducer are decreased by constructing such a transducer directly on a printed circuit board containing support electronics. Conductive traces are formed on the printed circuit board to define a contact area. A flexible substrate having an inner surface is positioned over the contact area. An adhesive spacer, substantially surrounding the contact area, attaches the flexible substrate to the printed circuit board. At least one resistive layer is deposited on the flexible substrate inner surface. In use, the resistive layer contacts at least two conductive traces in response to pressure applied to the flexible substrate to produce an electrical signal indicative of applied pressure.

Method of forming an electronic pressure sensitive transducer on a printed circuit board

An input device for an electronic system includes a force sensor having conductive interdigitated traces on a bottom substrate and a flexible substrate spaced apart from the bottom substrate. The flexible substrate has a resistive layer deposited on a bottom side facing the interdigitated traces. A snap dome is positioned over a portion of the force sensor flexible substrate. A flexible keymat membrane is positioned over the force sensor and the snap dome. The keymat membrane bottom surface faces the force sensor flexible substrate. The keymat membrane bottom surface has a protruding region surrounding the snap dome and spaced above the force sensor flexible substrate. A center keycap on the keymat membrane top surface is positioned over the snap dome. A surrounding keycap on the keymat membrane encloses the center keycap and is positioned over the keymat membrane protruding region.

Force sensing pointing device with click function

A force sensing resistor includes two substrates. Conductive traces including first, common, and calibration fingers are on the first substrate and define a contact area. A spacer surrounds the contact area and attaches the substrates together such that a cavity separates the substrates in the contact area. A first resistive layer is on the second substrate and arranged within the cavity. In response to a force moving one substrate, the first resistive layer electrically connects the first and common fingers with a resistance dependent upon resistivity of the first resistive layer and the applied force to produce an electrical signal indicative of the applied force. A second resistive layer is arranged within the cavity and electrically connects the calibration and common fingers with a resistance dependent upon resistivity of the second resistive layer to produce an electrical signal indicative of the resistivity of the second resistive layer.

Force sensing resistor with calibration element and method of manufacturing same

A pointing device may be directly soldered to a printed circuit board. In one embodiment, a bottom substrate defines a sensing region with a plurality of interdigitated conductive trace regions. Each trace region includes interdigitated common and sense traces. At least one via passes through the bottom substrate for each trace. Each via supports a conductive path from one trace to at least one lead element. Each lead element is solderable to a printed circuit board. A flexible substrate is constructed from a heat resistant polymer. The flexible substrate has a resistive layer deposited on a bottom side. A raised pedestal is formed on the bottom substrate top face around at least a portion of the sensing region. The pedestal separates the interdigitated conductive traces from the flexible substrate resistive layer. A button on a keypad membrane may be used to depress the flexible substrate onto the trace region.

Miniature highly manufacturable mouse pointing device

Receiver for a wireless remote control

Remote device

Electronic pressure sensitive transducer apparatus and method for manufacturing same

A system and a method for protecting a connector and a body of a wireless adapter with a geometrical loop antenna. The loop antenna folds over the body of the wireless adapter to protect the connector and the body. The wireless adapter may be used to connect a peripheral device to a host device. The body of the wireless adapter includes a body stop operable for receiving the loop antenna. The system may also include a cap for protecting the connector of the wireless adapter. In this instance, the loop antenna folds over the cap to lock the cap in place on the connector. A cap may also be integrated into the distal end of the loop antenna.

Growing community of inventors

Oxnard, CA, United States of America

Carlos Solis Sanchez