US 2,011,141,052 · Filed 2009-12-10
The Force-Sensing Touchpad That Turned Clicks Into Feeling
Imagine a laptop trackpad that doesn't just sense where your finger is—it also feels how hard you're pressing. This patent describes a touchpad with hidden force sensors under its corners and tiny vibration motors that buzz back at your finger, creating the illusion of physical buttons that don't actually exist.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a touchpad design where force sensors are positioned beneath each corner of a rectangular glass surface, detecting the amount of pressure applied anywhere on the pad. What's protected here is the specific method of using those corner-mounted sensors to distinguish between light touches and deliberate presses, then triggering actuators (vibration motors) to create tactile feedback in response. The patent also covers the signal processing that converts raw force data into recognized actions like button presses and releases.
Why it matters
This patent represents a key innovation in making digital interfaces feel more physical and responsive. Rather than requiring separate mechanical buttons, force-sensing technology allows a flat, sealed surface to behave like it has clickable regions. This approach improves durability (fewer moving parts to break), enables customizable feedback, and paved the way for modern Force Touch and haptic feedback systems now common in laptops and mobile devices.
Real-world use
When you press down firmly on a modern laptop trackpad and feel a subtle vibration or click sensation, you're experiencing technology descended from this force-sensing design.
Original USPTO abstract
Electronic devices may use touch pads that have touch sensor arrays, force sensors, and actuators for providing tactile feedback. A touch pad may be mounted in a computer housing. The touch pad may have a rectangular planar touch pad member that has a glass layer covered with ink and contains a capacitive touch sensor array. Force sensors may be mounted under each of the four corners of the rectangular planar touch pad member. The force sensors may be used to measure how much force is applied to the surface of the planar touch pad member by a user. Processed force sensor signals may indicate the presence of button activity such as press and release events. In response to detected button activity or other activity in the device, actuator drive signals may be generated for controlling the actuator. The user may supply settings to adjust signal processing and tactile feedback parameters.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 2,011,141,052
- Filing date
- 2009-12-10
- Grant date
- Application — not yet granted
- Assignee
- Jeffrey Traer Bernstein / Avi Cieplinski / Degner Brett W / Duncan Kerr / Kessler Patrick / Paul Puskarich / Coelho Marcelo H / Aleksandar Pance
- Inventor(s)
- BERNSTEIN JEFFREY TRAER, CIEPLINSKI AVI, DEGNER BRETT W., KERR DUNCAN, KESSLER PATRICK, PUSKARICH PAUL, COELHO MARCELO H., PANCE ALEKSANDAR
- CPC class
- G06F3/03547
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