Synaptics Corporation

Wei-Lung Lee

Lin-Hsiang Hsieh

Chih-Chien Chou

Shridhar R Dessai

Pei-Che Chiu

A pointing stick assembly includes: a head having a top surface configured to interface with a finger; a shaft connected to the head, wherein the shaft configured to be moved downward based on a finger pressing down on the head and to be tilted based on a finger tilting the head; a first sensor layer comprising a receiver electrode and a transmitter electrode; a second sensor layer comprising a transmitter electrode; and a third sensor layer comprising a plurality of receiver electrodes. The first sensor layer is configured for detection of presence of a finger based on a change in capacitance between the receiver electrode and the transmitter electrode of the first sensor layer caused by the presence of the finger on the top surface of the head.

Capacitive pointing stick assembly with presence detection

A keyboard input device including a plurality of key assemblies, at least one of the key assemblies comprising: a key cap having a top surface configured to be pressed by a user; a rigid conductive substrate (e.g., metal) coupled to a bottom surface of the key cap; a translation mechanism configured to allow translation of the key responsive to user input; and a capacitive sensor substrate disposed between the key cap and the rigid conductive substrate, the capacitive sensor substrate comprising a plurality of sensor electrodes configured to detect input objects in a sensing region of the key assembly.

Key including capacitive sensor

An input device includes an input surface and a first substrate mechanically coupled to the input surface. The first substrate includes a first plurality of sensor electrodes configured to detect an input force applied by an input object to the input surface. The input device further includes a conductive material disposed between the input surface and the first plurality of sensor electrodes. The conductive material shields the first plurality of sensor electrodes from effects of the input object in a sensing region of the input device. The input device further includes a second substrate mechanically coupled to the first substrate. The second substrate includes a second plurality of sensor electrodes configured to detect a location of an input object at the input surface.

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Taipei, Taiwan

Wei-Lung Lee