System and method for detecting and characterizing force inputs on a surface

1. A system for detecting and characterizing touch inputs comprising:

a substrate;

an array of sense electrodes arranged on the substrate;

a first shield electrode arranged on a region of the substrate;

a capacitive touch sensor arranged over the substrate and operable as a capacitive sensor; and

a controller coupled to the array of sense electrodes and the touch sensor and configured to:

during a first scan period within a first sampling period, read a first set of force values from the array of sense electrodes pairs,

during a second scan period within the first sampling period, read a first set of touch values from the touch sensor; and

transform the first set of force values and the first set of touch values into a touch image, the touch image representing locations and force magnitudes of a set of inputs over the substrate.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

during the first scan period, drive the first shield electrode to a virtual reference potential; and

during the second scan period:

release the first shield electrode from the virtual reference potential; and

read a first capacitance value from the touch sensor.

3. The system of claim 2 :

further comprising:

a touch sensor surface arranged over the substrate and the touch sensor; and

an array of drive electrodes that cooperate with the array of sense electrodes to form a resistive touch sensor; and

wherein the controller is further configured to:

transform the first set of force values into a force image representing locations and force magnitudes of the set of inputs applied to the touch sensor surface during the first sampling period;

detect proximity of an object adjacent the touch sensor surface during the first sampling period based on the first capacitance value; and

merge the force image with a representation of the proximity of the object to generate the touch image.

4. The system of claim 1 :

further comprising an array of drive electrodes patterned across the substrate;

wherein the array of sense electrodes and the array of drive electrodes define a first array of drive electrode and sense electrode pairs arranged on the region of the substrate; and

wherein the touch sensor comprises an array of capacitive electrode pairs arranged over and spanning the region of the substrate.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the control system is further configured to:

during the first scan cycle, drive the array of capacitive electrode pairs to a virtual reference potential; and

during the second scan cycle:

release the array of capacitive electrode pairs from the virtual reference potential; and

read the first set of touch values from the array of capacitive electrode pairs.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the control system is further configured to:

transform the first set of force values into a force image representing force magnitudes of the set of inputs applied over the substrate during the first sampling period;

transform the first set of touch values into a capacitance image representing locations and sizes of the set of inputs applied over the touch sensor during the first sampling period; and

merge the force image and the capacitance image into the touch image representing the set of inputs over the touch sensor during the first sampling period.

7. The system of claim 1 :

wherein the control system is further configured to:

transform the first set of force values into a first force magnitude of a first input applied over the substrate during the first sampling period;

transform the first set of touch values into a capacitance image representing a first location and a first size of the first input applied over the touch sensor during the first sampling period; and

merge the first force magnitude and the capacitance image to generate the touch image representing the first input over the substrate during the first sampling period.

8. The system of claim 1 :

further comprising an array of drive electrodes arranged on the substrate;

wherein the array of sense electrodes and the array of drive electrodes define a first array of drive electrode and sense electrode pairs arranged on the region of the substrate; and

further comprising a force sensitive material in contact with the first array of drive electrode and sense electrode pairs, the force sensitive material exhibiting variations in local resistance across drive electrode and sense electrode pairs in the array of drive electrode and sense electrode pairs, responsive to local variations in force applied over the substrate.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the force sensitive material is arranged in a continuous layer over the first array of drive electrode and sense electrode pairs.

10. A method for detecting and characterizing touch inputs comprising:

during a first scan cycle:

reading a first set of touch values from a touch sensor; and

interpreting absence of inputs over a tactile surface, arranged over the touch sensor, based on the first set of touch values;

generating a first touch image indicating absence of inputs on the tactile surface;

during a second scan cycle succeeding the first scan cycle:

reading a second set of touch values from the touch sensor; and

interpreting presence of a second input over the tactile surface based on the second set of touch values;

generating a second touch image indicating presence of the second input over the tactile surface;

during a third scan cycle succeeding the second scan cycle:

reading a set of force values from an array of sense electrodes adjacent the touch sensor; and

interpreting a force magnitude of the second input based on the set of force values; and

generating a third touch image indicating the force magnitude of the second input on the tactile surface.

11. The method of claim 10 :

further comprising, during the third scan cycle:

reading a third set of touch values from the touch sensor; and

interpreting presence of the second input over the tactile surface based on the third set of touch values; and

wherein generating the third touch image comprises generating the third touch image indicating presence and the force magnitude of the second input on the tactile surface during the third scan cycle.

12. The method of claim 11 :

wherein interpreting presence of the second input over the tactile surface during the second scan cycle comprises detecting proximity of an object adjacent the touch sensor based on the second set of touch values; and

further comprising, during the third scan cycle, merging the third touch image with a representation of the proximity of the object to generate the touch image.

13. The method of claim 10 :

wherein detecting the first set of touch values and the second set of touch values from the tactile surface comprises reading a first set of capacitance values and a second set of capacitance values from a capacitive touch sensor; and

wherein reading the first set of force values comprises reading a first set of resistance values from a resistive touch sensor arranged below the capacitive touch sensor.

14. The method of claim 10 :

further comprising, during a first time period within the first scan cycle:

driving a set of electrodes in the touch sensor to a virtual reference potential; and

reading a second set of force values from the array of sense electrodes; and

further comprising, during a processing cycle succeeding the first time period within the first scan cycle:

releasing the set of electrodes from the virtual reference potential; and

confirming the absence of an input over the tactile surface based on the second set of force values.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

during the first scan cycle, in response to interpreting absence of inputs over the tactile surface, transitioning the array of sense electrodes adjacent the touch sensor into a deactivated state; and

during the second scan cycle, in response to interpreting presence of the second input over the tactile surface, transitioning the array of sense electrodes adjacent the touch sensor into an activated state.

16. A system comprising:

a substrate;

a tactile surface arranged over the substrate;

a touch sensor arranged below the tactile surface;

a first shield electrode coupled to the touch sensor;

an array of sense electrodes arranged on the substrate; and

a controller, coupled to the touch sensor and the array of sense electrodes and configured to, during a first scan cycle:

at a first time, release the first shield electrode from a virtual reference potential;

read a first set of touch values over the tactile surface from the touch sensor;

at a second time following the first time, drive the first shield electrode to a virtual reference potential;

read a first set of force values over the tactile surface from the array of sense electrodes;

interpret a first location of a first input over the tactile surface based on the first set of touch values;

interpret a first force magnitude of the first input over the tactile surface based on the first set of force values;

interpret a second location of a second input over the tactile surface based on the first set of touch values; and

interpret a second force magnitude for the second input over the tactile surface based on the first set of force values.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the control system is further configured to:

transform the first set of force values into a first force distribution representing local variations in force applied over the tactile surface by the first input; and

derive the first force magnitude of the first input from the first force distribution.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the control system is further configured to:

transform the first set of force values into a first pressure distribution representing local variations in pressure applied over the tactile surface by the first input;

identify an area of the first input over the tactile surface based on the first set of touch values; and

derive the first force magnitude of the first input from the first pressure distribution based on the area of the first input.

19. A system for detecting and characterizing touch inputs comprising:

a substrate;

an array of drive electrode and sense electrode pairs arranged on the substrate;

a touch sensor arranged over the substrate;

a force sensitive material in contact with the array of drive electrode and sense electrode pairs, the force sensitive material exhibiting variations in local resistance across drive electrode and sense electrode pairs in the array of drive electrode and sense electrode pairs, responsive to local variations in force applied over the substrate; and

a controller coupled to the array of sense electrodes and the touch sensor and configured to:

during a first scan period within a first sampling period, read a first set of force values from the array of sense electrodes;

during a second scan period within the first sampling period, read a first set of touch values from the touch sensor; and

transform the first set of force values and the first set of touch values into a touch image, the touch image representing locations and force magnitudes of a set of inputs over the substrate.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the force sensitive material is arranged in a continuous layer over the first array of drive electrode and sense electrode pairs.