Abstract: One variation of a method for detecting an input at a touch sensor—including a force-sensitive layer exhibiting variations in local resistance responsive to local variations in applied force on a touch sensor surface and a set of drive and sense electrodes—includes: driving a drive electrode with a drive signal; reading a sense signal from a sense electrode; detecting a alternating-current component and a direct-current component of the sense signal; in response to a magnitude of the direct-current component of the sense signal falling below a threshold magnitude, detecting an input on the touch sensor surface during the scan cycle based on the alternating-current component of the sense signal; and, in response to the magnitude of the direct-current component of the sense signal exceeding the threshold magnitude, detecting the input on the touch sensor surface during the scan cycle based on the direct-current component of the sense signal.

Abstract: Interpolation electrode patterning for capacitive-grid touch sensor is provided herein. Provided is a device that includes multiple column electrodes that include a first column electrode divided into a plurality of first column sub-electrodes and at least a second column electrode divided into a plurality of second column sub-electrodes. The first column electrode and the second column electrode are adjacent column electrodes. Further, first column sub-electrodes of the plurality of first column sub-electrodes are interleaved with second column sub-electrodes of the plurality of second column sub-electrodes in a first direction. A first layer of the device comprises the multiple column electrodes and a second layer of the device comprises the multiple row electrodes.

Abstract: One variation of a system includes: a substrate including an aperture and a multi-layer inductor; and a cover layer arranged over the substrate and cooperating with the aperture to define a housing. Additionally, the system includes a fingerprint reader arranged within the housing and configured to permeate through the cover layer to scan a fingerprint applied over the cover layer. A magnetic element is arranged facing the multi-layer inductor and configured to inductively couple the multi-layer inductor. The system further includes a controller configured to: read electrical values from the multi-layer inductor; and register a fingerprint input on the cover layer based on the electrical values. Additionally, the controller can: read fingerprint values from the fingerprint reader to generate a fingerprint image; and trigger a first oscillating voltage across the multi-layer inductor to oscillate the cover layer in response to the fingerprint image deviating from a target fingerprint image.

Abstract: One variation of a keyboard system includes: a substrate including an array of inductors; a tactile layer arranged over the substrate defining an array of key locations over the array of inductors; an array of magnetic elements, each arranged within the tactile layer at a key location configured to inductively couple to an adjacent inductor and configured to move relative to the adjacent inductor responsive to application of a force on the tactile layer at the key location; and a controller configured to read electrical values from the inductors. In response to detecting a change in electrical value at a first inductor, the controller also configured to: register a first keystroke of a first key type associated with a first key location defined over the first inductor; and drive an oscillating voltage across the first inductor to oscillate the tactile layer over the substrate during a haptic feedback cycle.

Abstract: A perforated support layer that facilitates static and dynamic bending is provided herein. A device can comprise a device chassis, a flexible display panel, and a support layer sandwiched between the device chassis and the flexible display panel. The support layer can comprise a set of perforations formed in a bend region of the support layer. Also provided is a method that can comprise forming relief cuts in a bend region of a support layer. The method also can comprise bonding a first side of the support layer to a device chassis and bonding a second side of the support layer to a flexible display panel.

Abstract: One variation of a system for tracking stylus inputs on a touch sensor surface includes: a touch sensor surface, and a touch sensor arranged under the touch sensor surface. The touch sensor includes a substrate and a set of drive and sense electrode pairs. The system further includes an excitation inductor arranged under the touch sensor surface and a stylus. The stylus includes: a body; a conductive stylus tip; and a stylus inductor configured to inductively couple to the excitation inductor to induce a voltage at the conductive stylus tip. The system includes a controller configured to: drive the excitation inductor with an alternating voltage signal; detect a set of self-capacitance values across the substrate; and detect a stylus location of a stylus input for the conductive stylus tip on the touch sensor surface based on the set of self-capacitance values and the second set of self-capacitance values.

Abstract: One variation of a method includes: defining a first capacitance gradient of capacitance thresholds spanning a capacitive touch sensor; defining a first pressure gradient of pressure thresholds spanning a pressure sensor; reading a capacitance value from the capacitive touch sensor proximal a first location; detecting presence of a first input at the first location in response to the capacitance value exceeding a capacitance threshold assigned to the first location; reading a pressure value from the pressure sensor proximal the first location; detecting presence of a second input proximal the first location in response to the pressure value exceeding a pressure threshold; in response to detecting the first input and detecting the second input: merging the first input and the second input into a confirmed touch input; and generating a first touch image representing the first location and the pressure value of the confirmed touch input.

Abstract: Touch sensor technologies are provided. In some embodiments, a touch sensor device includes an array of conductive members. The touch sensor device also includes a first routing trace electrically coupled to a first conductive member of the array of conductive members. The touch sensor device also includes a second routing trace electrically coupled to a second conductive member of the array of conductive member. The first and second routing traces extend to a connector integrated into the touch sensor device. The touch sensor device further includes a resistor that electrically couples the first routing trace and the second routing trace. A third conductive member of the array of conductive members is placed between the first and second conductive members. By incorporating a resistor, density of conductive members (sense lines and/or drive lines) can be increased without increasing density of routing traces to the connector.

Abstract: A touch sensor detector system and method incorporating an interpolated sensor array is disclosed. The system and method utilize a touch sensor array (TSA) configured to detect proximity/contact/pressure (PCP) via a variable impedance array (VIA) electrically coupling interlinked impedance columns (IIC) coupled to an array column driver (ACD), and interlinked impedance rows (IIR) coupled to an array row sensor (ARS). The ACD is configured to select the IIC based on a column switching register (CSR) and electrically drive the IIC using a column driving source (CDS). The VIA conveys current from the driven IIC to the IIC sensed by the ARS. The ARS selects the IIR within the TSA and electrically senses the IIR state based on a row switching register (RSR). Interpolation of ARS sensed current/voltage allows accurate detection of TSA PCP and/or spatial location.

Abstract: A system and method for fabricating a selectively-adhered force sensor comprising a flexible membrane constrained at a multitude of points within the sensor active area. The system comprising a processor; and a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising: facilitating application of a conductive layer to a first surface; and facilitating curing of the conductive layer to the first surface.

Abstract: Facilitating dynamic adjustment of a click/unclick threshold corresponding to a force-based tactile sensor is presented herein. A system can comprise a tactile sensor comprising force-based sensor(s); and a motion detection component that can determine a rate of change of a movement that has been detected via a group of sensors comprising the force-based sensor(s), and based on the rate of change of the movement, modify a defined sensitivity of the force-based sensor(s) with respect to detection of a click and/or unclick event corresponding to the tactile sensor. Further, the motion detection component can decrease the defined sensitivity with respect to detection of the click and/or unclick event in response to the rate of change being determined to satisfy a defined condition representing an increase in the speed at which the stylus or the finger has moved across the tactile sensor.

Abstract: The present invention relates to automotive interface systems and methods. In one embodiment, an automotive interface system includes a steering wheel and an integrated interpolated variable impedance array that comprises a grid of sensing elements. The sensing elements are configured to power on simultaneously and to simultaneously generate multiple currents along multiple current paths in response to sensing a touch wherein the amount of current generated by a sensing element of the grid is directly proportional to the force applied by the touch. The automotive interface system also includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and a processor communicatively coupled to the interpolated variable impedance array that are configured to receive the multiple currents along multiple current paths and determine a location, a duration, an area, and a force of the touch from the multiple currents along multiple current paths.

Abstract: One variation of a system includes a substrate including: a first layer including a first spiral trace coiled in a first direction; a second layer arranged below the first layer and including a second spiral trace coiled in a second direction and cooperating with the first spiral trace to form a multi-layer inductor; and a sensor layer including an array of drive and sense electrode pairs. The system also includes: a cover layer arranged over the substrate and defining a touch sensor surface; and a first magnetic element arranged below the substrate and defining a first polarity facing the multi-layer inductor. The system further includes a controller configured to drive an oscillating voltage across the multi-layer inductor to oscillate the substrate in response to detecting an input on the touch sensor surface based on electrical values from the set of drive and sense electrode pairs.

Abstract: A method for calibrating a touch sensor includes: at a calibration system during a calibration routine, applying a probe, at a target selection force, to a sequence of locations on a touch sensor surface of a touch sensor; at the touch sensor, capturing a sequence of touch images representing magnitudes of forces detected on the touch sensor surface during the calibration routine; fusing the sequence of touch images into a response map representing magnitudes of forces detected on the touch sensor surface by the touch sensor responsive to application of the target selection force on the touch sensor surface by the probe during the calibration routine; generating a force compensation map defining threshold forces for detecting selections at the target selection force on the touch sensor surface based on the response map.

Abstract: One variation of a system for detecting inputs at a computing device includes: a substrate including top layer and bottom layers, an array of capacitance sensors arranged on the bottom layer, and an array of support locations adjacent the capacitance sensors; a touch sensor surface arranged over the top layer of the substrate; an array of spring elements coupled to the support locations, configured to couple the substrate to a chassis, and configured to yield to displacement of the substrate downward toward the chassis responsive to forces applied to the touch sensor surface; a coupling plate configured to couple to the chassis adjacent the spring elements and effect capacitance values of the capacitance sensors responsive to displacement of the substrate toward the coupling plate; and a controller configured to interpret force magnitudes of inputs on the touch sensor surface based on capacitance values of the capacitance sensors.

Abstract: A method for improving flexibility of a circuit board, e.g., comprising a touch-based sensor, and reducing manufacturing costs by eliminating routing around a border of the touch-based sensor is presented herein. The method comprises forming an array of touch sensors on a first side of the circuit board, in which portions of the circuit board located between three edges of the circuit board and a border of the array of touch sensors exclude traces; and forming first traces between respective second traces in a singular direction on a second side of the circuit board, in which the first traces are electrically coupled, using a first group of vias, to respective rows of the array of touch sensors, and the second traces are electrically coupled, using a second group of vias, to respective columns of the array of touch sensors.

Abstract: The present invention relates to interpolated variable impedance touch sensor arrays for force-aware large-surface device interaction. An exemplary system for detecting a continuous pressure curve includes a plurality of physical variable impedance array (VIA) columns connected by interlinked impedance columns and a plurality of physical VIA rows connected by interlinked impedance rows. The system also includes a plurality of column drive sources connected to the interlinked impedance columns and to the plurality of physical VIA columns through the interlinked impedance columns as well as a plurality of row sense sinks connected to the interlinked impedance rows and to the plurality of physical VIA rows through the interlinked impedance rows. Further, the system includes a processor configured to interpolate the continuous pressure curve in the physical VIA columns and physical VIA rows from an electrical signal from the plurality of column drive sources sensed at the plurality of row sense sinks.

Abstract: One variation of a system includes: a frame; a sensor module; and a controller. The frame includes: a base structure that locates a display defining a front face of a device; and a lateral frame structure extending along and adjacent an edge of the display and supported on a side of the base structure. The base structure and the lateral frame structure cooperate to define a channel arranged behind the display and extending longitudinally between the lateral frame structure and the side of the base structure. The sensor module is arranged in the channel and includes: a substrate; and a linear array of sensors arranged on the substrate and outputting sense signals representing local deflections of the lateral frame structure. The controller detects locations and force magnitudes of side inputs on the device, proximal the edge of the display, based on sense signals output by the linear array of sensors.

Abstract: A tactile touch sensor (TTS) system and method allowing physical augmentation of a high-resolution touch sensor array (TSA) is disclosed. Physical augmentation is accomplished using a TSA physical overlay (TPO) placed on top of the TSA. The TPO is constructed to transmit forces to the underlying TSA. Force transmission is accomplished by either using a flexible overlay or with a rigid mechanical overlay that transmits user forces exerted on the overlay to the underlying TSA. Incorporation of TPO identifiers (TPI) within the TPO permits identification of the TPO by a TPO detector (TPD) allowing operational characteristics of the TSA to be automatically reconfigured to conform to the currently applied TPO structure by a user computing device (UCD). The UCD may be configured to automatically load an appropriate application software driver (ASD) in response to a TPI read by the TPD from the currently applied TPO.

Abstract: One variation of a method for detecting and characterizing force inputs on a surface includes: during a resistance scan cycle of a sampling period, driving a shield electrode arranged over a resistive touch sensor to a reference potential and reading resistance values across sense electrode and drive electrode pairs in the resistive touch sensor; during a processing cycle of the sampling period, transforming the resistance values into a position and a magnitude of a force applied to a tactile surface over the shield electrode, releasing the shield electrode from the reference potential, reading a capacitance value of the shield electrode, and detecting proximity of an object to the tactile surface based on the capacitance value; and generating a touch image representing the position and the magnitude of the force on the tactile surface based on the proximity of the object to the tactile surface.