Provided are an element applicable to a high-precision, high-sensitivity pressure detecting sensor and switch, a manufacturing method for the element; and a sensor, an electronic circuit, and an input device that include the element. The electret element of the present invention has a semiconductor sandwiched between a pair of electrodes, and an electret film disposed at a location opposite to the semiconductor via a gap. The electret element of the present invention may be structured so that the semiconductor contacts with the electret film, or so as to have micro-sized gaps therebetween. The electret film is semi-permanently kept in a positively or negatively charged state. By having a structure in which the electret film can contact with or approach the semiconductor, an amount of electric currents flowing between the pair of electrodes can be controlled.

A flexible display device including a display panel configured to display an image and including first and second bending areas configured to be bent along first and second folding axes, respectively, and a touch sensing unit disposed on the display panel. The touch sensing unit includes a base insulation layer, a first touch electrode part disposed on a first surface of the base insulation layer and overlapping the first bending area to detect an external input, and a second touch electrode part disposed on a second, opposing surface of the base insulation layer and overlapping the second bending area to detect an external input. A portion of the display panel is disposed between the first folding axis and the touch sensing unit, and a portion of the touch sensing unit is disposed between the second folding axis and the display panel, when the flexible display device is bent.

One variation of a method for interfacing a computer to a human includes: detecting application of a first input onto a touch sensor surface and a first force magnitude of the first input; in response to the first force magnitude exceeding a first threshold magnitude, actuating a vibrator coupled to the touch sensor surface during a first click cycle and triggering an audio driver proximal the touch sensor surface to output a click sound during the first click cycle; detecting retraction of the first input from the touch sensor surface and a second force magnitude of the first input; and, in response to the second force magnitude falling below a second threshold magnitude less than the first threshold magnitude, actuating the vibrator during a second click cycle distinct from the first click cycle and triggering the audio driver to output the click sound during the second click cycle.

Disclosed herein is a method of manufacturing a zinc oxide nanosheet structure. The zinc oxide nanosheet structure may be manufactured by forming a zinc oxide seed on a substrate and growing zinc oxide from the zinc oxide seed in a zinc oxide growth solution in which zinc precursors and a doping-element-containing compound are dissolved.

An electronic device with a force sensing device is disclosed. The electronic device comprises a user input surface defining an exterior surface of the electronic device, a first capacitive sensing element, and a second capacitive sensing element capacitively coupled to the first capacitive sensing element. The electronic device also comprises a first spacing layer between the first and second capacitive sensing elements, and a second spacing layer between the first and second capacitive sensing elements. The first and second spacing layers have different compositions. The electronic device also comprises sensing circuitry coupled to the first and second capacitive sensing elements configured to determine an amount of applied force on the user input surface. The first spacing layer is configured to collapse if the applied force is below a force threshold, and the second spacing layer is configured to collapse if the applied force is above the force threshold.

A display device according to the present invention includes a touch panel, a dielectric sheet, a frame, and a display panel. The touch panel has a touch sensor portion in the middle and a first electrode in an inner peripheral portion. Further, the dielectric sheet is closely adhered the back surface of the touch panel in its front surface. The frame has an opening in the central portion thereof and a second electrode in a marginal portion that is closely adhered the back surface of the dielectric sheet. The display panel has a display surface to display a screen image and the display surface is closely adhered the back surface of the dielectric sheet in the opening of the frame. The first electrode and the second electrode constitute a pressure-sensitive sensor that has a function to detect a pressing force when an operation element touches the front surface of the touch panel. Thus, a highly reliable display device with a touch panel can be provided in which degradation in the visibility of the display panel can be avoided and the stress occurring in the pressure-sensitive sensor is reduced.

According to various embodiments of the present invention, an electronic device and a method for changing a condition for determining a touch input to be a pressure input store, in a memory, at least one piece of information relating to a sensed touch input that satisfies a designated condition in a designated time, when the touch input sensed by a sensor module satisfies a pressure input condition, and change the pressure input condition at least on the basis of the stored information, wherein the at least one piece of information can comprise information regarding at least one of speed, strength, or location of the input, and additional various embodiments are possible.

A pointer device is provided. The pointer device includes an induction coil, a clock generating circuit, and a control circuit. The induction coil converts magnetic energy into electrical potential energy and stores the electrical potential energy in a power storage period, and receives an instruction signal from the electromagnetic coordinate positioning apparatus in an instruction receiving period. The control circuit decodes the instruction signal in the instruction receiving period according to the clock signal after the power storage period. When determining that the instruction signal is one of a plurality of predefined instructions, the control circuit triggers, in a data transmission period, the induction coil to send a data signal corresponding to the instruction signal to the electromagnetic coordinate positioning apparatus according to the clock signal after the instruction receiving period. The instruction signal and the data signal each include a fixed quantity of bits.

A content input method is provided. The content input method includes: obtaining pressure information applied to a first preset area of a display area; determining, according to a first pressure threshold, whether the pressure information applied to the first preset area is inadvertent touch information; when the pressure information applied to the first preset area is the inadvertent touch information, ignoring the pressure information.

An apparatus for estimating bio-information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a first sensor configured to obtain a fingerprint image of a finger of the user; a second sensor configured to measure a force or a pressure applied by the finger; and a processor configured to obtain, based on the fingerprint image, a first feature value related to pulse waves and a second feature value related to skin elasticity; obtain a third feature value based on the force or the pressure; and estimate the bio-information of the user based on the first feature value, the second feature value, and the third feature value.