Presentation by a display is enhanced by placing the active elements of the display at or substantially proximate to the surface of an electronic device. A protective sheet of the display is extended to cover a front surface of the electronic device. Such placement improves image quality, reduces shadow on the display, improves spill resistance, and minimizes the overall profile of the device.

The present invention provides a pressure sensing panel, which includes a carrying substrate, a gas cell layer formed on the carrying substrate and a gas pressure sensor, wherein the gas cell layer includes at least one gas cell, a predetermined amount of gas is sealed in each gas cell, and at least one gas pressure sensor is provided inside each gas cell. The present invention further provides a display device, a method for fabricating the pressure sensing panel and a force touch method using the display device. In the present invention, deformation of the gas cell is physical deformation, which is hardly affected by the surroundings, so the level of force applied to the display device can be determined accurately by using the pressure sensing panel provided by the present invention, and further, operation can be performed accurately.

A display apparatus with touch sensing and force sensing functions includes a display panel, a first touch device, a conductive layer and a dielectric layer. The first touch device includes multiple touch sensing pads. The conductive layer includes multiple force sensing pads electrically connected to each other, where the touch sensing pads separately overlap the corresponding force sensing pads in a vertical projection direction. The dielectric layer is disposed between the conductive layer and the first touch device. The touch sensing pads, the dielectric layer and the force sensing pads form a force sensing device.

By combining at least two strain sensors in a symmetric configuration, a dual use sensor may be realized. This may reduce the footprint, cost, and complexity of employing two different sensors. It may also improve the accuracy of the measurements as two different parameters i.e., strain and environmental information are measured at the same physical location. This dual use sensor may be deployed in an array over a large area or space, providing systemic information of the subject that is previously difficult to detect.

A method of processing a number of force values is described. Each force value corresponds to a sensor location. The sensor locations are spaced apart along a direction. The method includes receiving the force values (S11). The method also includes determining whether the force values include one or more candidate peaks (S12). Each candidate peak corresponds to a local maximum of the force values. The method also includes, in response to at least one candidate peak exceeds a minimum force threshold (S13), interpolating the force values and estimating a number of peak coordinates and corresponding peak force values based on the interpolated force values and the candidate peaks (S14) which exceed the minimum force threshold.

A contact sensor apparatus comprises: a first insulative layer (100); a second insulative layer (200); a first resistor strip (101) on the first insulative layer; a second resistor strip (201) on the second insulative layer; a plurality of first conductive traces (102) provided on the first insulative layer and electrically connected to the first resistor strip; and a plurality of second conductive traces (202) provided on the second insulative layer and electrically connected to the second resistor strip. The first insulative layer and second insulative layer face each other such that the plurality of first conductive traces face the plurality of second conductive traces with each of the first conductive traces extending across the plurality of second conductive traces and each of the second conductive traces extending across the plurality of first conductive traces thereby forming an array of points of intersection of the first and second conductive traces. The first insulative layer and second insulative layer are spaced apart such that there is no electrical contact between the plurality of first and second conductive traces when a contact is not applied to the contact sensor. When a contact is applied there is an electrical contact between at least one of each of the plurality of first and second conductive traces in a region of the contact.

A touchpad and a sending unit for the same are provided. The sensing unit has two electrode layers and a separation assembly. The separation assembly has multiple deformation rooms and multiple gap assemblies. The deformation rooms communicate with the gap assemblies. The gap assemblies communicate with the exterior environment. When the upper electrode layer is pressed and deforms in the deformation rooms, the air in the deformation rooms is discharged through the gap assemblies so that the air does not accumulate in the remaining unstressed spaces to avoid resistance and to maintain the normal operation of the force sensing function.

Examples of force sensors that may be incorporated into a number of devices or other objects are disclosed. In one example, a sensor comprises a substrate comprising a first electrode and a second electrode, the first electrode and the second electrode being spaced by an insulating gap, and a compliant material with plural conductive pathways disposed over the gap and contacting the first electrode and the second electrode such that a resistance of an electrical path passing through the compliant material between the first electrode and the second electrode changes in response to force of the compliant material against one or more of the first electrode and the second electrode.

A device (48) for combined capacitance and pressure measurements includes a number of first input/output terminals for a projected capacitance touch panel wherein the projected capacitance touch panel includes a layer of piezoelectric material disposed between a plurality of first electrodes and at least one second electrode. The device also includes a plurality of second input/output terminals for a capacitive touch controller. The device also includes a plurality of separation stages, each separation stage connecting at least one first input/output terminal to a corresponding second input/output terminal, and each separation stage including a first frequency-dependent filter for filtering signals between first and second input/output terminals. The device also includes at least one amplification stage, each amplification stage having at least one input and an output configured to provide an amplified signal, wherein the number of amplification stages is less than or equal to the number of separation stages and each amplification stage input is connected to one or more of the first input/output terminals through the respective separation stage(s). Each amplification stage or each separation stage includes a second frequency-dependent filter for filtering signals between the respective first input/output terminal and an amplification stage input. Each first frequency-dependent filter is configured to pass signals to and/or from the capacitive touch controller and each second frequency-dependent filter is configured to attenuate signals from the capacitive touch controller.

A strain-responsive sensor incorporating a strain-sensitive element is disclosed. The strain-sensitive element includes a matched-pair of resistive structures disposed on opposite sides of a substrate. One resistive structure of the matched pair is coupled to a crossover, either a physical crossover or a soft crossover, such that current within the resistive structures of the matched pair flows in the same direction.