US 12,086,331 B2
Capacitive gap sensor ring for an input device
Tyler S. Bushnell, Mountain View, CA (US); Collin R. Petty, San Francisco, CA (US); and Adam T. Clavelle, San Francisco, CA (US)
Assigned to Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed by Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed on Sep. 22, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/951,020.
Application 17/951,020 is a continuation of application No. 17/187,429, filed on Feb. 26, 2021, granted, now 11,513,613.
Application 17/187,429 is a continuation of application No. 16/708,064, filed on Dec. 9, 2019, granted, now 10,955,937, issued on Mar. 23, 2021.
Application 16/708,064 is a continuation of application No. 16/442,665, filed on Jun. 17, 2019, granted, now 10,509,486, issued on Dec. 17, 2019.
Application 16/442,665 is a continuation of application No. 16/055,359, filed on Aug. 6, 2018, granted, now 10,379,629, issued on Aug. 13, 2019.
Application 16/055,359 is a continuation of application No. 15/210,917, filed on Jul. 15, 2016, granted, now 10,061,399, issued on Aug. 28, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2023/0012897 A1, Jan. 19, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G06F 3/0338 (2013.01); G04C 3/00 (2006.01); G04G 21/08 (2010.01); G06F 1/16 (2006.01); G06F 3/0354 (2013.01); G06F 3/0362 (2013.01); G06F 3/044 (2006.01)
CPC G06F 3/0338 (2013.01) [G04C 3/005 (2013.01); G04C 3/007 (2013.01); G04G 21/08 (2013.01); G06F 1/163 (2013.01); G06F 3/03547 (2013.01); G06F 3/0362 (2013.01); G06F 3/0446 (2019.05); G06F 2203/0339 (2013.01); G06F 2203/04105 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An electronic device comprising:
a housing;
a force-sensitive input system coupled to the housing and comprising:
an input member external to the housing and configured to receive:
a first input resulting in a first force acting on the input member in a first direction; and
a second input resulting in a second force acting on the input member in a second direction different from the first direction;
a first set of conductors coupled to the input member;
a deformable material; and
a second set of conductors separated from the first set of conductors by the deformable material and configured to move relative to the first set of conductors in response to the first input and the second input; and
a processing unit operably coupled to the first set of conductors and the second set of conductors and configured to determine, based at least in part on a change in an electrical property detected at least one of the first set of conductors or the second set of conductors:
a first force value associated with the first force; and
a second force value associated with the second force.