A trim panel intended to be arranged within the interior of a vehicle cabin, the trim panel having an appearance face intended to be visible to an occupant of the cabin, a reverse face provided with an interface for attachment of the trim panel to a support member, and at least one attachment bracket forming part of the attachment interface. The appearance face defines a tactile interaction area intended to serve as a control input for the occupant, and at least one sensor assembly is arranged on an attachment bracket, each sensor assembly being adapted to, when the trim panel is arranged inside a cabin, detect a deformation of its attachment bracket upon pressure exerted by an occupant on the trim panel on the tactile interaction area.

A control system for a vehicle interior comprising a control element for a user to interact with is provided. The control element may comprise a sensing electrode configured to provide one or more electrical signals and a non-conductive cover material provided on or over the sensing electrode. The sensing electrode may be formed of or comprise a conductive plastic. The non-conductive cover material may be formed of or comprise a non-conductive plastic. The non-conductive cover material may be or comprise an outer layer, over-layer or skin of the control element. The non-conductive cover material may provide one or more touch interactive surfaces of the control element.

A force sensing system for determining if a user input has occurred, the system comprising: an input channel, to receive an input from at least one force sensor; an activity detection stage, to monitor an activity level of the input from the at least one force sensor and, responsive to an activity level which may be indicative of a user input being reached, to generate an indication that an activity has occurred at the force sensor; and an event detection stage to receive said indication, and to determine if a user input has occurred based on the received input from the at least one force sensor.

An electronic device has a keyboard with an internal membrane. The membrane has a set of strain gauges configured to respond to a key press, such as when a collapsible dome collapses into contact with the membrane. The strain gauges are connected in a half Wheatstone bridge configuration and are positioned on the membrane in order to limit effects of temperature and subtle flexure of the membrane. The strain gauges are also configured to magnify detection of a resistance differential when a keycap is pressed with sufficient force.

Various implementations include a switch assembly that includes a housing and at least one printed circuit board (PCB) disposed within the housing, and one or more force sensors disposed on the PCB. Overload protection is provided for the one or more force sensors using one or both of an energy absorbing pad and/or a force transfer plate having one or more protrusions that engage with a platform defined by the housing to prevent excessive forces from being transferred to the one or more force sensors and damaging them and/or other components of the switch assembly.

A correction unit for use in a sensor system, the sensor system comprising a force sensor configured to output a sensor signal indicative of a temporary mechanical distortion of a material under an applied force, the correction unit configured, based on the sensor signal, to: estimate an effect of the applied force on how the material will return towards an undistorted form upon a substantial reduction or removal of the applied force; and generate a corrected signal based on the estimation.

A remote control device includes a housing and an upper element. The top surface of the upper element can be partitioned to include different frictionally engaging surfaces. At least one frictionally engaging surface can be used as an input surface that receives user inputs such as touch or force inputs. An input device, such as a force sensing switch, can be positioned in the housing and used in determining an amount of force applied to the input surface. The bottom surface of the upper element below the second surface can be affixed to the housing in a manner that permits the input surface to bend based on the applied force.

A switch assembly that provides haptic feedback includes a printed circuit board (PCB) having a first planar surface that faces in a first direction and a second planar surface that faces in a second direction, the second direction being opposite from the first direction, a touch plate having a first surface that faces in the first direction and a second surface that faces in the second direction, wherein the first surface of the touch plate is proximate the second planar surface of the PCB, and a haptic exciter that has a conductive coil of wire having a hollow inner core and a magnet that is at least partially disposed within the hollow inner core of the coil of wire such that the magnet alternatively moves in the first and second directions as an alternating current passes through the conductive coil of wire.

A button structure (708) comprises a base (709) comprising a slot (203) and a sensing element (710) inserted into the slot. A pressure concentration element (711) is fixedly connected to the sensing element and a key cap (712) is mounted to the base. The key cap comprises a core member (503) fixedly connected to a lower surface of a top plate (504) of the key cap. The core member comprises a lower surface (506) configured to be brought into contact with the pressure concentration element on application of a pressure to an upper surface of the top plate, such that the applied pressure is transmitted to the sensing element through the core member and the pressure concentration part.

A method of assessing a user input at a virtual button of a user-input system includes: (A) configuring at least one force-measuring device including a plurality of piezoelectric micromechanical force-measuring elements (PMFEs); (B) configuring a cover layer of the user-input system including coupling the force-measuring device(s) to the cover layer at respective positions that are laterally displaced from a center point of the virtual button; (C) receiving, by each respective signal processor, the voltage signals from the PMFEs (PMFE voltage signals); (D) obtaining force-trend data from the PMFE voltage signals; and (E) assessing a user input in accordance with the force-trend data. Each of the PMFEs is configured to output voltage signals to the respective signal processor in accordance with a time-varying strain at the respective PMFE.