Apple Inc.

James E Wright

Keith J Hendren

Storrs Townsend Hoen

John M Brock

Jonah Alexander Harley

Jerzy S Guterman

Peteris K Augenbergs

Jack Brown Rector, Iii

Nicholaus Lubinski

William J Schmidt

Iii Jack B Rector

A stand alone input device can be a touch pad that provides touch inputs to an associated computing device. The input device can include a wedge-shaped base defining an inner cavity, a touch plate having a touch surface disposed over the inner cavity and configured to accept a touch input, cantilevered beams coupled to the wedge-shaped base and the touch plate and configured to deliver a force from the touch input, a haptic generator coupled to the cantilevered beams and configured to generate a haptic output in response to the touch input, an antenna component integrated within a wall of the wedge-shaped base and an antenna resonance cavity located within the inner cavity, and a switch assembly including a sliding component having a pin through a wedge-shaped base wall and a switch beam having a protrusion that engages multiple recesses located at a detent region on the sliding component.

Stand alone input device

A polarized electromagnetic actuator includes a movable armature, a stator, and at least one coil wrapped around the stator. At least one permanent magnet is disposed over the stator. When a current is applied to the at least one coil, the at least one coil is configured to reduce a magnetic flux of at least one permanent magnet in one direction and increase a magnetic flux of at least one permanent magnet in another direction. The movable armature moves in the direction of the increased magnetic flux.

Polarized magnetic actuators for haptic response

A force sensing input device (such as a force sensing mouse) includes at least one force sensor and at least one top portion movably connected to at least one bottom portion. When a force is applied to the top portion, the top portion exerts pressure on the force sensor. The force sensor obtains force data based upon the pressure. The amount of force applied to the top portion, within a range of force amounts, is determined from at least the force data. In this way, a broader range of inputs may be receivable from the force sensing input device as compared to input devices that merely detect whether or not a button or similar element has been pushed.

Force sensing mouse

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

James E Wright