Apple Inc.

Appple Inc.

Ehsan Khajeh

Brian Michael King

Marcus Yip

Aaron Scott Tucker

Mohammad Yeke Yazdandoost

Giovanni Gozzini

Marduke Yousefpor

George Ho Yin Mak

Andrew W Joyce

Jason S Griesbach

Gordon Scot Franza

Henry Hung Yang

Supratik Datta

Dale R Setlak

Karan S Jain

Daniel J Hiemstra

Paul Xiaopeng Wang

Alex Joseph Lehmann

Maegan K Spencer

Tong Chen

Parin Patel

Michael K McCord

Stephen Theodore Schooley

Arash Akhavan Fomani

Meng Chi Lee

Peter J Kardassakis

Gregory Thomas Minteer

Wesley William Zuber

Hoishun Li

Hao Dong

Daniel P Kumar

Ross D Arriens

Anuranjini Pragada

Gang Ning

Jenna Dancy

Eng Eow Goh

Deepak Sharma

Yaser Shanjani

Timothy C Wulff

Camille L Everhart

Omid Mahdavipour

John K Frankovich

Chengrui Zhang

Michael Sipper

Ala'a Al-Okaily

Michael K Mccord

Examples of the disclosure are directed to the use of one or more piezoelectric (PE) transducers for detecting one or more touches on a surface. In some embodiments, the one or more PE transducers can complement a capacitive touch sensor array and provide a confirmation that a touch has in fact occurred, and can provide a secondary determination of touch location. In some examples, the one or more PE transducers can be formed on, or as part of, a flex circuit that is adhered to a housing or other structure to which the touch surface is affixed. The flex circuit can be formed as a strip upon which the one or more PE transducers are attached, and can be shaped and sized (optionally with a fold to create a tail for electrical connections) to adhere to an inner or outer surface of the housing.

Piezoelectric transducers for detection of touch on a surface

A case for an electronic device can include a case body including an exterior surface and an interior surface, the interior surface being positioned opposite the exterior surface. The case can additionally include a button body positioned at least partially within the case body between the exterior surface and the interior surface, the button body being movable inward and outward relative to the case body along an axis of button travel. The case can further include a biasing structure having a contact surface configured to contact the button body, the biasing structure configured to bias the button body toward the interior surface along the axis of button travel.

Computing device case

Acoustic optical integrity detection system architectures and methods can be used to detect optical integrity of an optical component by detecting a discontinuity on and/or in the optical component (e.g., on the optical surface and/or within the bulk of the optical component). In some examples, integrity detection can be used to ensure safety compliance of an optical system, optionally including a laser. Acoustic integrity detection can utilize transducers (e.g., piezoelectric transducers) to transmit ultrasonic waves along an optical surface and/or through the thickness of an optical component. A discontinuity of the optical surface can interact with the transmitted wave causing attenuation, redirection and/or reflection of at least a portion of the transmitted wave. Portions of the transmitted wave energy after interaction with the discontinuity can be measured to determine discontinuity location, type, and/or severity.

Methodology and application of acoustic detection of optical integrity

Improving the accuracy of ultrasonic touch sensing and fingerprint imaging using acoustic impedance matching is disclosed. Acoustic impedance mismatches between an ultrasonic transducer array and a sensing plate can be reduced to maximize energy transfer and minimize parasitic reflections. A reduction in acoustic impedance mismatches can be accomplished using (i) a composite epoxy having a higher acoustic impedance than epoxy alone, (ii) one or more matching layers having an acoustic impedance that is approximately the geometric mean of the acoustic impedance of the sensing plate and the acoustic impedance of the transducer array, (iii) pores or perforations in the sensing plate, or (iv) geometric structures formed in the sensing plate. In addition, parasitic reflections can be suppressed using an absorbent layer.

Geometric structures for acoustic impedance matching and improved touch sensing and fingerprint imaging

Acoustic touch and/or force sensing system architectures and methods for acoustic touch and/or force sensing can be used to detect a position of an object touching a surface and an amount of force applied to the surface by the object. The position and/or an applied force can be determined using time-of-flight (TOF) techniques, for example. Acoustic touch sensing can utilize transducers (e.g., piezoelectric) to simultaneously transmit ultrasonic waves along a surface and through a thickness of a deformable material. The location of the object and the applied force can be determined based on the amount of time elapsing between the transmission of the waves and receipt of the reflected waves. In some examples, an acoustic touch sensing system can be insensitive to water contact on the device surface, and thus acoustic touch sensing can be used for touch sensing in devices that may become wet or fully submerged in water.

Differential acoustic touch and force sensing

An acoustic imaging system coupled to an acoustic medium to define an imaging surface. The acoustic imaging system includes an array of piezoelectric acoustic transducers formed at least in part from a thin-film piezoelectric material, such as PVDF. The array is coupled to the acoustic medium opposite the imaging surface and formed using a thin-film manufacturing process over an application-specific integrated circuit that, in turn, is configured to leverage on or more beamforming scan operations to drive the array of piezoelectric actuators to generate an image of an object at least partially wetting to the imaging surface.

Beamforming optimization for segmented thin-film acoustic imaging systems incorporated in personal portable electronic devices

An acoustic imaging system coupled to an acoustic medium to define an imaging surface. The acoustic imaging system includes an array of piezoelectric acoustic transducers formed at least in part from a thin-film piezoelectric material, such as PVDF. The array is coupled to the acoustic medium opposite the imaging surface and formed using a thin-film manufacturing process over an application-specific integrated circuit that, in turn, is configured to leverage the array of piezoelectric actuators to generate an image of an object at least partially wetting to the imaging surface.

Signal processing for segmented thin-film acoustic imaging systems for portable electronic devices

An acoustic imaging system coupled to an acoustic imaging medium to define an imaging surface. The acoustic imaging system includes an array of piezoelectric acoustic transducers formed at least in part from a thin-film piezoelectric material, such as PVDF. The array is coupled to the acoustic imaging medium opposite the imaging surface and formed using a thin-film manufacturing process over an application-specific integrated circuit that, in turn, is configured to leverage the array of piezoelectric actuators to generate an image of an object at least partially wetting to the imaging surface.

Regional gain control for segmented thin-film acoustic imaging systems

An acoustic imaging system coupled to a sensing plate to define an imaging surface. The acoustic imaging system includes an array of piezoelectric acoustic transducers coupled to the sensing plate opposite the imaging surface and formed using a thin-film manufacturing process over an application-specific integrated circuit that, in turn, is configured to leverage the array of piezoelectric actuators to generate an image of an object at least partially wetting to the imaging surface.

Thin-film acoustic imaging system for imaging through an exterior surface of an electronic device housing

An acoustic imaging system includes multiple transducers disposed to circumscribe a portion of substrate. An acoustic imaging system also includes a controller and an image resolver. The transducers convert electrical signals into mechanical energy and/or mechanical energy into electrical signals. The controller is adapted to apply an electrical signal to the transducers which, in response, induce a mechanical wave, such as a surface wave, into the circumscribed portion. The controller is also adapted to receive electrical signals from the transducers. The image resolver uses the electrical signals received by the controller in order to construct an image of an object in physical contact with the substrate.

Acoustic imaging system architecture

System and method for acoustic touch and force sensing

An ultrasonic touch sensing system that uses both compressional and shear waves for touch and water detection is disclosed. When no touch or water is present, less shear and compressional wave energy is absorbed, so both shear and compressional wave reflections do not have significant amplitude decreases. When a finger is in contact with the sensing plate, both shear and compressional wave energy is absorbed, so both shear and compressional wave reflections have significant amplitude decreases. When water is in contact with the sensing plate, compressional energy is absorbed but little or no shear wave energy is absorbed, so while compressional wave reflections have significant amplitude decreases, shear wave reflections do not. From these amplitudes, a determination can be made as to whether no touch is present on the sensing plate, whether a touch is present on the sensing plate, or whether water is present on the sensing plate.

Ultrasonic water-agnostic touch detection sensor

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Ehsan Khajeh