Elastomeric pressure transduction based user interface
Disclosed herein are electronic devices having a deformable surfaces through which a user can provide inputs to the device by applying a force such as a pinch or a squeeze. A particular embodiment is an earpiece with the deformable surface part of an elongate section extending from an earbud. The deformable surface includes an incompressible hyperelastic material and a pressure sensor. The pressure sensor includes a pressure sensing element and a void defined between the pressure sensing element and the incompressible hyperelastic material. An applied force is transferred by the incompressible hyperelastic material to compress the void and change an internal pressure thereof. The changed pressure is detected by the pressure sensor, and can result in changed operation of the electronic device.
1. An earpiece, comprising: a housing defining an earbud configured for placement in a user's ear; and an elongated section extending from the earbud and having a deformable surface and a non-deformable surface; a speaker disposed in the earbud; a deformable input section contained within the elongated section and disposed between the deformable surface and the non-deformable surface; a pressure sensor mechanism having a pressure sensing element; and an incompressible hyperelastic material contained within a sealed region within the deformable input section; wherein: a void between the incompressible hyperelastic material and the pressure sensing element is defined within the sealed region; a force applied by the user to the deformable surface is transferred by the incompressible hyperelastic material from the housing to the void to alter a pressure in the void; and the pressure sensing element is operable to detect the pressure in the void.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the incompressible hyperelastic material comprises silicone.
3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the void contains a compressible gas.
4. The device of claim 1 , wherein: the applied force causes a reduction of a volume of the sealed region; and a volume of the void is reduced by an amount correlated with the reduction of the volume of the sealed region.
5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the pressure sensor mechanism forms part of a surface of the sealed region.
6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensing element is encapsulated by the incompressible hyperelastic material.
7. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a processor operably linked to the pressure sensing element, wherein: the processor is configured to receive a signal from the pressure sensing element; and the processor is operative to determine a magnitude of the applied force based on the signal.
8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the signal comprises a value from a discrete set of values.
9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the signal comprises a time sequence of values from the discrete set of values.
10. The device of claim 7 , wherein the signal is an analog signal.
11. An earpiece, comprising: an earbud containing a speaker configured for placement in a user's ear; a deformable input section extending from the earbud and including a pressure sensor mechanism; and control electronics communicatively linking the pressure sensor mechanism and the earbud wherein: the pressure sensor mechanism comprises: an incompressible hyperelastic material contained within a sealed region within the deformable input section, the incompressible hyperelastic material defining a void; and a pressure sensing element positioned to detect a pressure in the void; the deformable input section is configured to receive at least a first force and a second force contemporaneously; the second force at least partially opposes the first force; and first force and the second force are transferred by the incompressible hyperelastic material to the void to cause an alteration in the pressure in the void.
12. The earpiece of claim 11 , wherein: the first force and the second force cause a reduction of a volume of the deformable input section; and a volume of the void is reduced by an amount correlated with the reduction of the volume of the deformable input section.
13. The earpiece of claim 11 , wherein: the control electronics are operative to receive a signal from the pressure sensor mechanism; and the control electronics are operative to determine a magnitude of at least one of the first force and the second force based on the signal.
14. The earpiece of claim 13 , wherein the control electronics are operative to alter operation of the speaker responsive to the determined magnitude.
15. The earpiece of claim 14 , wherein the control electronics are operative to alter an audio volume produced by the speaker in response to the determined magnitude.
16. An earpiece, comprising: an earbud housing; a speaker held by the earbud housing; an elongated section extending from the earbud housing and having, a deformable surface; a non-deformable surface; an incompressible hyperelastic material disposed between the deformable surface and the non-deformable surface; a pressure sensor comprising a pressure sensing element; and a sealed compressible region positioned between the pressure sensing element and the incompressible hyperelastic material; wherein: a force applied to the deformable surface causes a reduction in a volume of the sealed compressible region; the volume of the sealed compressible region is reduced by an amount correlated with the applied force; and the pressure sensing element is configured to detect a change in pressure in the sealed compressible region produced by the reduction in the volume of the sealed compressible region.
17. The earpiece of claim 16 , wherein the incompressible hyperelastic material comprises silicone.
18. The earpiece of claim 16 , wherein the sealed compressible region contains a compressible gas.