A switching device for actuating drive elements includes first switching elements situated on a housing surface to be actuatable by fingers of a person and a second switching element situated on a housing surface to be actuatable by a palm, a palm heel, or a thumb of the person. The first and second switching elements are formed by touch surface sensors without switching contacts. In one variation, actuation of one of the first switching elements causes actuation of a corresponding one of the drive elements only when the second switching element is actuated during the actuation of the one of the first switching elements. In another variation, simultaneous actuation of one of the first switching elements and the second switching element causes a drive element corresponding to the one of the first switching elements to be actuated according to a function corresponding to the second switching element.

A touch sensor assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a sensor housing disposed at a rear surface of an external member on which a touch operation unit on which a user touches is marked, a sensor PCB accommodated in the sensor housing, and an elastic member which is disposed at a rear side of the sensor PCB and presses the sensor PCB toward a rear surface of the external member, wherein the elastic member is mounted in an elastic member accommodation portion formed at a bottom surface of the sensor housing.

Acoustic touch sensing systems can include a mechanically integrated structure including multiple acoustic transducers. For example, an annular structure including one or more piezoelectric segments can be fabricated and then coupled to a front crystal/cover glass. A single structure can simplify the structural integration of the device, can provide a mechanically reliable and stable structure for improved structural integrity of the system, and can provide for improved water sealing for a waterproof or water resistant device. The piezoelectric material in the annular structure can be shear poled such that a poling direction of the piezoelectric material can follow the curvature of the annular piezoelectric structure.

An appliance that includes: a front panel having a touch point; a touch board including: a first side attached to a location on a rear surface of the front panel, the location corresponding to the touch point; a second side opposite to the first side; a pressing portion;

and one or more holes defined around the pressing portion and configured to enable an elastic movement of the pressing portion; a holder that is attached to the second side of the touch board, the holder having a receiving portion; a piezo disc configured to be inserted in the receiving portion of the holder and contact the pressing portion; a guide board having a seating hole configured to receive the holder and the piezo disc; and a first adhesive member attached to the first side of the touch board and configured to attach to the rear surface of the front panel.

In a method of using an ultrasonic sensor comprising a two-dimensional array of ultrasonic transducers, a plurality of ultrasonic signals are transmitted according to a beamforming pattern at a position of the two-dimensional array. The beamforming pattern focuses the plurality of ultrasonic signals to location above the two-dimensional array, wherein the beamforming pattern identifies ultrasonic transducers of the two-dimensional array that are activated during transmission of the ultrasonic signals, and wherein at least some ultrasonic transducers of the beamforming pattern are phase delayed with respect to other ultrasonic transducers of the beamforming pattern. At least one reflected ultrasonic signal is received at the position according to a receive pattern, wherein the receive pattern identifies at least one ultrasonic transducers of the two-dimensional array that is activated during the receiving. The transmitting and the receiving are repeated at a plurality of positions of the two-dimensional array.

A touch sensor assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a sensor housing disposed at a rear surface of an external member on which a touch operation unit on which a user touches is marked, a sensor PCB accommodated in the sensor housing, and an elastic member which is disposed at a rear side of the sensor PCB and presses the sensor PCB toward a rear surface of the external member, wherein the elastic member is mounted in an elastic member accommodation portion formed at a bottom surface of the sensor housing.

A device (15) including a piezoelectric sensor (16). The piezoelectric sensor (16) includes a layer of piezoelectric material (7) disposed between a number of sensing electrodes (4, 12, 13) and at least one counter electrode (3). The device (15) also includes a controller (17) connected to the piezoelectric sensor (16). The sensing electrodes (4, 12, 13) are arranged to form one or more active regions (19). Each active region (19) includes one or more primary sensing electrodes (4,12) and one or more secondary sensing electrodes (4, 13). The secondary sensing electrodes (4, 13) are separated from the primary sensing electrodes (4, 12) by a perimeter (14). The controller (17) is configured, for each active region (19), to monitor primary piezoelectric charges induced on each primary sensing electrode (4, 12) and to monitor secondary piezoelectric charges induced on each secondary sensing electrode (4, 13). The controller (17) is also configured, in response to detecting one or more primary and/or secondary piezoelectric charges, to determine whether a corresponding applied force has a centroid within the perimeter (14) based on comparing the primary piezoelectric charges to the secondary piezoelectric charges.

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.

A detection device includes a panel having opposed main surfaces including an operation surface and a rear surface. A support structure is located on at least one of the main surfaces and prevents warping of the panel while permitting the operation surface to be deformed in response to a pressing operation applied to the operation surface. A sensor for sensing the pressing operation applied to the operation surface is provided on one of the main surfaces at a location where at least a portion of the sensor does not overlap the support structure in plan view.

A touch input device that includes a housing which has an insulation property; a piezoelectric element group which includes a plurality of piezoelectric elements which produce charges when stretched in a direction parallel to a flat film surface; and an adhesive member which adheres the piezoelectric element group to a back surface of the housing.