IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,330,061
Granted Patent B2
US 8,330,061 · App. 13/051,691 · Granted Dec 11, 2012

Compact input device

Assignee: Apple Inc.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,330,061
App. No.
13/051,691
Granted
Dec 11, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

Compact input devices formed on flexible substrates are disclosed. The input devices may be formed using three or more conducting layers. By including three or more conducting layers, the diameter of the input device may be minimized. In addition, to improve the flexibility of portions of the input device mounted, some portions of the input device may be made to have fewer layers than other portions of the input device.

Claims (53)

1. A flexible substrate comprising:

a first portion comprising a first set of layers; and

a second portion comprising a second set of layers,

the first set of layers and the second set of layers being different, and

the first portion comprising a first sensor area of an input device and the

second portion comprising a second sensor area of the input device.

2. The flexible substrate of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor area comprises a central sensor area of the input device, and the second sensor area is circumferentially arranged relative to the first sensor area.

3. The flexible substrate of claim 2 , wherein the first set of layers has a lesser number of layers than the second set of layers.

4. The flexible substrate of claim 2 , wherein the first set of layers has a lesser number of conducting layers than the second set of layers.

5. The flexible substrate of claim 4 , wherein

the first set of layers comprises a conducting layer comprising a sensor and a conducting layer comprising a trace, and

the second set of layers comprises a conducting layer comprising a sensor, a conducting layer comprising a trace, and a conducting layer comprising grounding.

6. The flexible substrate of claim 1 , wherein the first set of layers has only one conducting layer and the second set of layers has only three conducting layers.

7. The flexible substrate of claim 1 , wherein the first set of layers has only two conducting layers and the second set of layers has only three conducting layers.

8. A flexible substrate comprising:

a first portion comprising a first set of layers; and

a second portion comprising a second set of layers,

the first set of layers and the second set of layers being different, and

the first portion comprising a controller area of an input device and the second portion comprising an area of the input device between the controller area and a connector area of the input device.

9. The flexible substrate of claim 8 , wherein the first set of layers has a greater number of layers than the second set of layers.

10. The flexible substrate of claim 8 , wherein the first set of layers has a greater number of conducting layers than the second set of layers.

11. The flexible substrate of claim 8 , wherein the first set of layers has only three conducting layers.

12. The flexible substrate of claim 8 , wherein the controller area comprises a controller configured to control sensors associated with the input device.

13. The flexible substrate of claim 8 , wherein the second set of layers has a single conducting layer.

14. The flexible substrate of claim 8 , wherein the connector area comprises a connector configured to connect the second portion of the flexible substrate to an electronic device.

15. The flexible substrate of claim 8 , wherein the connector area comprises contacts and a stiffener.

16. The flexible substrate of claim 8 , wherein the connector area comprises a ZIF connector.

17. A flexible substrate comprising:

a first portion comprising a first flexibility; and

a second portion comprising a second flexibility,

the first flexibility and the second flexibility being different due to a difference in a number of layers of the first portion and the second portion, and

the first portion comprises comprising a first sensor area of an input device and the second portion comprises comprising a second sensor area of the input device.

18. The flexible substrate of claim 17 , wherein the first sensor area comprises a central sensor area of the input device, and the second sensor area is circumferentially arranged relative to the first sensor area.

19. The flexible substrate of claim 18 , wherein the first set of layers has a lesser number of layers than the second set of layers.

20. The flexible substrate of claim 18 , wherein the first set of layers has a lesser number of conducting layers than the second set of layers.

21. The flexible substrate of claim 20 , wherein

the first set of layers comprises a conducting layer comprising a sensor and a conducting layer comprising a trace, and

the second set of layers comprises a conducting layer comprising a sensor, a conducting layer comprising a trace, and a conducting layer comprising grounding.

22. The flexible substrate of claim 17 , wherein the first set of layers has only one conducting layer and the second set of layers has only three conducting layers.

23. The flexible substrate of claim 17 , wherein the first set of layers has only two conducting layers and the second set of layers has only three conducting layers.

24. A flexible substrate comprising:

a first portion comprising a first flexibility; and

a second portion comprising a second flexibility,

the first flexibility and the second flexibility being different due to a difference in a number of layers of the first portion and the second portion, and

the first portion comprising a controller area of an input device and the second portion comprising an area of the input device between the controller area and a connector area of the input device.

25. The flexible substrate of claim 24 , wherein the first set of layers has a greater number of layers than the second set of layers.

26. The flexible substrate of claim 24 , wherein the first set of layers has a greater number of conducting layers than the second set of layers.

27. The flexible substrate of claim 24 , wherein the first set of layers has only three conducting layers.

28. The flexible substrate of claim 24 , wherein the controller area comprises a controller configured to control sensors associated with the input device.

29. The flexible substrate of claim 24 , wherein the second set of layers has a single conducting layer.

30. The flexible substrate of claim 24 , wherein the connector area comprises a connector configured to connect the second portion of the flexible substrate to an electronic device.

31. The flexible substrate of claim 24 , wherein the connector area comprises contacts and a stiffener.

32. The flexible substrate of claim 24 , wherein the connector area comprises a ZIF connector.

Continuity (3)
Continuation 12204401 · Sep 4, 2008
Provisional Application 60935854 · Sep 4, 2007
Related Publication 20110169667A1 · Jul 14, 2011