公开(公告)号：US20210173500A1

公开(公告)日：2021-06-10

申请号：US16855435

申请日：2020-04-22

Applicant: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED

Inventor： Ling ZHU ,  Xutong HAN

IPC: G06F3/044 ,  H03K17/96

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a circuit board having a first conductive pad on a circuit board surface and a conductive overlay, which has a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface and is configured to deflect in response to a touch on the first surface. A protrusion protrudes from the second surface and is configured to be a second conductive pad. The circuit board, the conductive overlay, and the protrusion are arranged such that the second surface faces the circuit board surface and is separated from the first conductive pad by a first distance. The protrusion and the first conductive pad are separated by a second distance and have an overlapping area. The apparatus may also comprise a spacer configured to separate the first conductive pad from the second surface by the first distance and from the protrusion by the second distance.

公开(公告)号：US20180039351A1

公开(公告)日：2018-02-08

申请号：US15373929

申请日：2016-12-09

Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated

Inventor： Ling ZHU ,  Lixin CHEN ,  KangCheng XU ,  Wei ZHAO

IPC: G06F3/044 ,  G06F3/046

Abstract: In described examples, an apparatus includes a metal plate having a plurality of defined areas forming touch sensors on a first planar surface, and having an opposing planar surface. The metal plate is arranged to be deformable in the plurality of defined areas by a human touch. A circuit board has a plurality of conductive sensors on a first surface arranged with the plurality of conductive sensors facing and spaced from the opposing planar surface of the metal plate, the conductive sensors placed in correspondence with the defined areas on the metal plate so that deflection sensors are formed in the defined areas by the conductive sensors and the opposing planar surface of the metal plate. Methods are described.