Abstract: 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.

Abstract: Electronic devices can include a textured exterior surface that is used for controlling functions associated with the electronic device or another electronic device when an object moves along the textured exterior surface. In some examples, the textured exterior surface can be a multi-directional textured surface to enable multi-directional touch functionality. In some examples, sensors of the electronic device can detect signal inputs generated by vibrations caused by the object moving along the textured exterior surface. The signal inputs can be processed to determine the directionality and/or speed of the movement input.

Abstract: An electronic device has sensors. More particularly, the electronic device is a small form factor electronic device such as earbuds, styluses, or electronic pencils, earphones, and so on. In some implementations, one or more touch sensors and one or more force sensors are coupled to a flexible circuit. In various implementations, the touch sensor and the force sensor are part of a single module controlled by a single controller. In a number of implementations, the flexible circuit is laminated to one or more portions of an interior surface of the electronic device.

Abstract: Touch sensor panels/screens can include negative temperature coefficient materials in the stack-up and routing traces with expanded areas to reduce thermal drift and minimize the detection of false touches. In some examples, the touch sensor panels/screens can include a plurality of touch electrodes in a first layer. In some examples, the sensor panels/screens can include one or more dielectric materials in a second layer, the one or more dielectric materials including a negative temperature coefficient material. In some examples, the touch sensor panels/screens can include a plurality of routing traces in a third layer, the plurality of routing traces routing the plurality of touch electrodes to a touch controller chip.

Abstract: Touch-based input devices, such as a stylus, can receive tactile input from a user. The tactile input functions can be performed by a touch sensor, such as a capacitive sensing device. A touch sensor can be integrated into a stylus in a low profile form. Tactile input can be received at the user's natural grip location. Furthermore, the stylus can effectively distinguish between tactile inputs from a user and disregard sustained tactile inputs that are provided while the user simply holds the stylus at the user's natural grip location.

Abstract: Touch-based input devices, such as a stylus, can receive tactile input from a user. The tactile input functions can be performed by a touch sensor, such as a capacitive sensing device. A touch sensor can be integrated into a stylus in a low profile form. Tactile input can be received at the user's natural grip location. Furthermore, the stylus can effectively distinguish between tactile inputs from a user and disregard sustained tactile inputs that are provided while the user simply holds the stylus at the user's natural grip location.

Abstract: A two dimensional touch sensor panel can be thermoformed or curved by another process to a three-dimensional touch sensor panel, and the three-dimensional touch sensor panel can be laminated to a three-dimension surface having a highly curved or spherical shape. In some examples, thermoforming a two-dimensional touch sensor panel into a three-dimensional touch sensor panel can result in strain of the touch electrodes, and can result in non-uniform three-dimensional touch electrodes (distortion of the two-dimensional touch electrode pattern). The strain can be a function of the curved touch-sensitive surface and/or process related mechanical strain from thermoforming. In some examples, a three-dimensional touch sensor panel can be formed with uniform area touch electrodes using a two-dimensional touch sensor panel pattern with non-uniform area touch electrodes in accordance with the strain pattern expected for a given curved surface and thermoforming technique.

Abstract: Components associated with receiving user touch input, receiving user force input, and providing haptic output interface are integrated into a unified input/output interface that includes a transducer substrate formed with a monolithic or multi-layer body having a number of electrodes disposed on surfaces thereof. Electrodes are selected by a controller to provide touch input sensing, force input sensing, and haptic output.

Abstract: Acoustic touch sensing system architectures and methods for acoustic touch sensing can be used to detect a position of an object touching a surface. Acoustic touch sensing can utilize transducers (e.g., piezoelectric) to simultaneously transmit ultrasonic waves along a surface and through a thickness of a material. The location of the object 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. In some examples, techniques such as isolation and absorption of acoustic energy can be used to mitigate acoustic energy reflected by portions of the electronic device and interfere with the acoustic touch sensing operation.

Abstract: Acoustic touch sensing system architectures and methods for acoustic touch sensing can be used to detect a position of an object touching a surface. Acoustic touch sensing can utilize transducers (e.g., piezoelectric) to simultaneously transmit ultrasonic waves along a surface and through a thickness of a material. The location of the object 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. In some examples, techniques such as isolation and absorption of acoustic energy can be used to mitigate acoustic energy reflected by portions of the electronic device and interfere with the acoustic touch sensing operation.

Abstract: Components associated with receiving user touch input, receiving user force input, and providing haptic output interface are integrated into a unified input/output interface that includes a transducer substrate formed with a monolithic or multi-layer body having a number of electrodes disposed on surfaces thereof. Electrodes are selected by a controller to provide touch input sensing, force input sensing, and haptic output.

Abstract: A wireless power system includes an electrically-balanced inductor in a transmitter device and an electrically-balanced inductor in a receiver device. The electrically-balanced inductors can be formed by introducing crossovers between radially-adjacent portions of two separate turns of each inductor. The crossovers balance the electric field generated by the transmitter device when transferring power to the receiver device.

Abstract: Touch-based input devices, such as a stylus, can receive tactile input from a user. The tactile input functions can be performed by a touch sensor, such as a capacitive sensing device. A touch sensor can be integrated into a stylus in a low profile form. Tactile input can be received at the user's natural grip location. Furthermore, the stylus can effectively distinguish between tactile inputs from a user and disregard sustained tactile inputs that are provided while the user simply holds the stylus at the user's natural grip location.

Abstract: An electronic device such as a pair of headphones may be provided with ear cups having speakers for playing audio to a user. Capacitive sensor electrodes may be used in capturing capacitive sensor ear images that are processed by a machine learning classifier to determine whether the headphones are being worn in a reversed or unreversed orientation. The capacitive sensor electrodes may include grill electrodes that overlap at least part of a speaker grill, cushion electrodes that make capacitive sensor measurements through ring-shaped ear cup cushions that surround the speaker grills, and ring electrodes. The ring electrodes may be formed from metal traces on a flexible printed circuit. The flexible printed circuit may include a portion that wraps around each speaker grill and that is surrounded by a corresponding one of the cushions.

Abstract: Components associated with receiving user touch input, receiving user force input, and providing haptic output interface are integrated into a unified input/output interface that includes a transducer substrate formed with a monolithic or multi-layer body having a number of electrodes disposed on surfaces thereof. Electrodes are selected by a controller to provide touch input sensing, force input sensing, and haptic output.

Abstract: An electronic device such as a pair of headphones may be provided with ear cups having speakers for playing audio to a user. Capacitive sensor electrodes may be used in capturing capacitive sensor ear images that are processed by a machine learning classifier to determine whether the headphones are being worn in a reversed or unreversed orientation. The capacitive sensor electrodes may include grill electrodes that overlap at least part of a speaker grill, cushion electrodes that make capacitive sensor measurements through ring-shaped ear cup cushions that surround the speaker grills, and ring electrodes. The ring electrodes may be formed from metal traces on a flexible printed circuit. The flexible printed circuit may include a portion that wraps around each speaker grill and that is surrounded by a corresponding one of the cushions.

Abstract: Components associated with receiving user touch input, receiving user force input, and providing haptic output interface are integrated into a unified input/output interface that includes a transducer substrate formed with a monolithic or multi-layer body having a number of electrodes disposed on surfaces thereof. Electrodes are selected by a controller to provide touch input sensing, force input sensing, and haptic output.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A wireless power system includes an electrically-balanced inductor in a transmitter device and an electrically-balanced inductor in a receiver device. The electrically-balanced inductors can be formed by introducing crossovers between radially-adjacent portions of two separate turns of each inductor. The crossovers balance the electric field generated by the transmitter device when transferring power to the receiver device.

Abstract: An electronic device is configured to provide localized haptic feedback to a user on one or more regions or sections of a surface of the electronic device. The localized haptic feedback is provided by an array of piezoelectric haptic actuators below the surface of the electronic device. Actuators within the array of piezoelectric haptic actuators are separately controllable by a control circuit layer. The control circuit layer includes control circuitry, a master flexible circuit which passes between rows of actuators, and an array of slave flexible circuits. Each slave flexible circuit is connected to the master flexible circuit and an actuator. In further examples, the array of piezoelectric haptic actuators provides a unified structure for detecting touch and force inputs.