The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 04, 2020
Filed:
Sep. 18, 2017
Texas Instruments Incorporated, Dallas, TX (US);
Dongtai Liu, Fremont, CA (US);
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED, Dallas, TX (US);
Abstract
A touch sensing apparatus for dual (adjacent) touch buttons (areas) defined on a touch surface (such as a sidewall of a mobile communications device). The apparatus includes first and second touch sensor assemblies, each including a support structure, a mounting structure to mount the touch sensor assembly to the back-side of the surface, and a sense inductor coil disposed on one of the support structure and the mounting structure. The first touch sensor assembly mounted to the back-side of the surface opposite the first touch area. The second touch sensor assembly mounted to the back-side of the surface opposite the second touch area. The touch sensor assembly can be constructed with the sense inductor coil disposed on the support structure, such that deflection of the respective touch area causes the touch surface to deflect toward the sense inductor coil, or with the sense inductor coil is disposed on the mounting structure, such that deflection of the respective touch area causes the touch surface and the sense coil inductor to deflect toward the support structure.