Touch location determination approaches involving a plurality of touch location techniques are described. Each touch location technique is capable of independently determining a location of a touch within a touch area of the touch sensitive device. The touch location determination made by at least one touch location technique is enhanced using touch location information associated with the touch acquired from one or more other touch location techniques. One touch location technique may use a different type of sensor, signal, and/or algorithm from the one or more other touch location techniques.

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.

A source audio signal to be rendered by a touch input medium is received. A transmitted signal to be propagated through the touch input medium is sent. The transmitted signal includes the source audio signal and a touch location detection signal. An event is indicated, where the touch input medium has been contacted at a location on the touch input medium by a touch contact such that rendering of the source audio signal by the touch input medium is affected by the touch contact. The location of the touch contact on the touch input medium is determined by analyzing a disturbance by the touch contact on the rendered touch location detection signal. At least a portion of the source audio signal is modified based on an expected effect of the contact on the touch input medium determined using the indication of the detector.

A method for preventing a false touch of a screen includes: sending a bandpass ultrasonic signal; receiving a reflected ultrasonic signal; calculating frequency domain information of the reflected ultrasonic signal; calculating at least one ultrasonic feature vector according to the frequency domain information, the ultrasonic feature vector being used to characterize movement state information of the mobile terminal approaching or moving away from an obstacle; constructing a feature vector set comprising the at least one ultrasonic feature vector; determining whether a condition for preventing a false touch is met according to the feature vector set; disabling a touch function of the touch screen in a case where the condition for preventing the false touch is met.

A touch sensing apparatus includes a first plate configured to receive a touch input, a second plate spaced apart from the first plate, a piezoelectric element disposed between the first and second plates, the piezoelectric element being configured to generate electrical signals corresponding to the touch input received on the first plate, an ultrasonic output unit configured to output ultrasonic signals based on the electrical signals generated from the piezoelectric element, a plurality of microphones configured to receive the ultrasonic signals, and a processor configured to determine a position of the touch input on the first plate based on the ultrasonic signals received by the plurality of microphones.

External mobile device sensors may be provided that are configured to manage sensory information associated with motion of objects external to the mobile device. In some examples, the object motion may be detected independent of contact with the device. In some examples, a device may include a screen with a first sensor (e.g., a touch sensor). The device may also include at least a second sensor external to the screen. Instructions may be executed by a processor of the device to at least determine when an object is hovering over a first graphical user interface (GUI) element of the screen. Additionally, in some cases, a second GUI element may be provided on the screen such that the second GUI element is rendered on the screen adjacent to a location under the hovering object.

A touch-screen monitor is described. The monitor includes an ultrasonic sensor for detecting motion of an object that is placed in contact with the monitor.

An ultrasonic actuation apparatus includes a piezoelectric transducer producing a first ultrasonic signal; a second transducer; and a platen, the platen being directly and/or acoustically coupled to the piezoelectric transducer and the second transducer. The second transducer may be a MEMS microphone. The second transducer is configured to receive the first ultrasonic signal at a first time, and a second ultrasonic signal at second time. The second ultrasonic signal has been modified from the first ultrasonic signal in correspondence with an object being in contact with the platen.

Some disclosed devices may include a display stack, a cover layer proximate a first side of the display stack and a segmented transducer array proximate a second side of the display stack. The segmented transducer array may include a plurality of separate transducer segments. Each of the separate transducer segments may include a piezoelectric layer and a thin-film transistor (TFT) layer. The separate transducer segments may include transmitter transducer segments and receiver transducer segments. In some examples, a spacing between at least a first plurality of the transmitter transducer segments may correspond to a display stack and cover layer oscillation mode frequency in a range from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, from 15 kHz to 200 kHz or from 20 kHz to 400 kHz.

The disclosure is directed to piezoelectric film structures and sensors, and display assemblies using same. The piezo electric film structure is transparent and includes: a substrate; a bottom optical layer disposed on or above the substrate; a bottom conducting layer disposed on or above the bottom optical layer; at least one piezoelectric layer disposed on or above the bottom conducting layer; a top conducting layer disposed on or above the at least one piezoelectric layer; and a top optical layer disposed on or above the top conducting layer. The sensor includes the piezoelectric film structure electrically connected to a signal processing system. The display assembly includes the sensor operably arranged relative to a display device. The piezoelectric film structures and sensors can be configured to determine one or more touch-sensing features associated with a touch event.