Force-activated headphones

Abstract

One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a force-activated headset. A headset is disclosed that includes a housing defining a force input surface opposite a touch input surface. A spring member in the housing includes a first arm that biases a touch sensor toward the touch input surface. The spring member also includes a second arm that biases a first force electrode toward the housing and allows the first force electrode to move toward a second force electrode when a force is applied to the force input surface. A non-binary amount of force is determined using a change in mutual capacitance between the first force electrode and the second force electrode. The mutual capacitance between the first force electrode and the second force electrode can be measured when a touch is detected using the touch sensor.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application “Force-activated headphones” with application number 201910810962.6 filed on August 30, 2019.

[0002] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0003] This patent application is a non-provisional patent application based on and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 734,389, filed on September 21, 2018, under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e), entitled “Force-Activated Earphones,” the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth herein. Technical Field

[0004] The embodiments described herein generally relate to headphones. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to force-activated headphones. Background Art

[0005] Headphones are typically used to provide audio output to users of electronic devices without unduly disturbing those around them. For example, headphones for personal electronic devices (such as computing devices, digital media players, music players, transistor radios, etc.) typically include a pair of earphones. These headphones are typically configured with ear cups that pass through the user's ears or with ear pieces or speakers that are inserted into the user's ear canal to form an acoustic chamber with the user's ears. The headphones typically generate sound waves that are transmitted into the acoustic chamber through one or more acoustic ports. In this way, the user can hear the audio output without unduly disturbing those in the user's surrounding environment.

[0006] Many of these headphones do not include an input device. Instead, these headphones may be controlled using an input device incorporated into an external electronic device to which the headphones may be wired or wirelessly coupled.

[0007] Other headsets may include one or more input devices. For example, a headset may be configured with one or more buttons, dials, switches, sliders, etc. Such input devices can be used to activate (e.g., provide input to) the headset. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The present disclosure relates to force-activated electronic devices, such as headphones. A non-binary amount of force applied to a force input surface defined by a housing of the headphones is determined using a change in mutual capacitance between a first force electrode and a second force electrode. A spring member disposed within the housing biases the first force electrode toward the housing and allows it to move toward the second force electrode when a force is applied. In some implementations, the headphones can detect a touch on the touch input surface defined by the housing. In various examples of such implementations, the headphones can determine a non-binary amount of force when a touch is detected. In a specific embodiment, the first force electrode and the second force electrode can be implemented using separate portions of a single flexible circuit. The flexible circuit can flex to allow the first force electrode to move toward the second force electrode when a force is applied. The flexible circuit can also flex to allow the first force electrode to move away from the second force electrode when the force is no longer applied.

[0009] In various embodiments, an electronic device includes a housing defining a force input surface, a first force electrode disposed within the housing, a second force electrode disposed within the housing, a spring member that biases the first force electrode toward the housing and allows the first force electrode to move toward the second force electrode when an input force is applied to the force input surface, and a controller. The controller is operable to determine a non-binary quantity of input force using a change in capacitance between the first force electrode and the second force electrode.

[0010] In some examples, the electronic device further includes a touch sensor disposed within the housing. In some implementations of such examples, the housing defines a touch input surface, and the spring member includes a first arm that biases the touch sensor toward the touch input surface and a second arm that biases the first force electrode toward the force input surface. In various examples, the capacitance is a mutual capacitance.

[0011] In various examples, the spring member is at least one of metal or plastic.In many examples, the spring member has an M-shaped cross section.

[0012] In some examples, the housing defines an additional force input surface. In some implementations of such examples, a third force electrode is disposed within the housing adjacent to the additional force input surface, and a fourth force electrode is disposed within the housing. In such implementations, the controller is operable to determine a non-binary amount of input force using a capacitance between the first force electrode and the second force electrode and an additional capacitance between the third force electrode and the fourth force electrode.

[0013] In many examples, the controller is operable to use an additional change in capacitance between the first force electrode and the second force electrode to determine an additional force applied to an area of the housing other than the force input surface. The area can be orthogonal to the force input surface, and the additional change in capacitance can be opposite to the change in capacitance.

[0014] In some embodiments, an earphone includes a housing, a spring member disposed within the housing that moves when a force is applied to the housing, a touch sensor coupled to the spring member, the touch sensor configured to detect a touch on the housing, a force sensor coupled to the spring member, and a controller. The controller determines an amount of force using the force sensor and the touch sensor.

[0015] In some examples, the touch is on a first area of the housing and the force is applied to a second area of the housing. In various such examples, the first area is positioned relative to the second area. In some such examples, during use of the headset, both the first area and the second area are positioned approximately 90 degrees from the user's head.

[0016] In various examples, the touch sensor is not operable to detect a touch on the second area.In some examples, the controller is operable to interpret the force as a variety of different kinds of input.

[0017] In many embodiments, an earphone includes a housing, a flexible circuit disposed in the housing, and a controller disposed in the housing. The housing includes a speaker and a stem extending from the speaker and defining a touch input surface and a force input surface opposite the touch input surface. The flexible circuit includes a first circuit portion, a second circuit portion, and a third circuit portion. The flexible circuit flexes to allow the second circuit portion to move toward the third circuit portion when a force is applied to the force input surface, and to allow the second circuit portion to move away from the third circuit portion when the force is no longer applied. The controller is operable to determine a touch on the touch input surface using a first change in a first mutual capacitance detected using the first circuit portion and to determine a non-binary amount of force using a second change in a second mutual capacitance detected using the second circuit portion and the third circuit portion.

[0018] In some examples, the controller uses the second circuit portion and the third circuit portion to determine a non-binary amount of force when determining a touch. In many examples, the headset further includes an antenna disposed within the housing. The flexible circuit can be mounted to the antenna. In some examples, the speaker defines an acoustic port, and the touch input surface and the force input surface are substantially orthogonal to the acoustic port.

[0019] In various examples, the controller determines an amount of time when the force is applied. In some examples, if the non-binary amount of the force is below a force threshold, the controller interprets the force as a first input, and if the non-binary amount of the force at least satisfies the force threshold, the controller interprets the force as a second input. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The present disclosure will be more readily understood through the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like structural elements.

[0021] Figure 1ABlock diagrams illustrating exemplary functional relationships between exemplary components that may be implemented in an electronic device are shown.

[0022] Figure 1B Shown Figure 1A Example implementations of electronic devices.

[0023] Figure 1C Shows the use Figure 1B Users of exemplary electronic devices.

[0024] Figure 1D Shown Figure 1C An electronic device that forms a sound chamber together with the user's ear canal.

[0025] Figure 2A Shown along Figure 1B The line AA intercepts Figure 1A An exemplary cross-sectional view of an electronic device.

[0026] Figure 2B shows what happens when a force is applied to the input surface. Figure 2A electronic equipment.

[0027] Figure 3A shows that it can be used to implement Figure 2A A first side of an exemplary flexible circuit of an electronic device is shown in FIG.

[0028] Figure 3B Shown Figure 3A The second side of the exemplary flexible circuit.

[0029] Figure 4 Shown with the housing removed Figure 2A components of electronic equipment.

[0030] Figure 5 shows that it can be used to implement Figure 2A An exemplary stackup of a touch sensor is shown in FIG.

[0031] Figure 6 shows that it can be used to implement Figure 2A An exemplary stack-up of a force sensor is shown in FIG.

[0032] Figure 7 Shown Figure 2A A first alternative example of an electronic device.

[0033] Figure 8 Shown Figure 2A A second alternative example of an electronic device.

[0034] Figure 9 Shown Figure 2A A third alternative example of an electronic device.

[0035] Figure 10 Shown Figure 2A A fourth alternative example of an electronic device.

[0036] Figure 11 A flow chart illustrating an exemplary method for operating a device including a force sensor is shown. The method may be used Figures 1A to 2B electronic devices to perform.

[0037] Figure 12 A flow chart illustrating an exemplary method for assembling an electronic device is shown. The method may assemble Figure 2A electronic equipment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] Reference will now be made in detail to the representative embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the following description is not intended to limit the embodiments to one preferred embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents that may be included within the spirit and scope of the described embodiments as defined by the appended claims.

[0039] The following description includes sample systems, methods, apparatus, and products that embody various elements of the present disclosure. However, it should be understood that the described disclosure may be embodied in a variety of forms other than those described herein.

[0040] Headphones that include mechanical input devices (such as buttons, dials, switches, sliders, etc.) that are disposed on or can pass through the surface of the housing can be challenging to operate because the user may not be able to see the mechanical input devices when wearing the headphones. Some headphones may attempt to address this problem by using an input mechanism that detects one or more taps from the user. However, while the user may be able to activate (e.g., provide input to) the headphones more easily by tapping than by locating a button press, tapping the headphones may produce a sound. This may be unpleasant to the user. This may also disrupt the audio output produced by the headphones. Furthermore, in embodiments where the headphones include one or more microphones, the taps may be picked up by the microphones.

[0041] The following disclosure relates to force-activated electronic devices, such as headphones. Embodiments can estimate or determine a non-binary quantity of force applied to a force input surface on a housing by measuring a change in capacitance between a first force electrode and a second force electrode. A spring member within the housing biases the first force electrode toward the housing while allowing it to move toward the second force electrode when force is applied. In this manner, the headphones can be activated by force without the need or use of an external mechanical input device and / or a tap.

[0042] In some implementations, the headset can detect a touch on a touch input surface of the housing. In some embodiments, the headset can determine a non-binary amount of input force when a touch is detected. This allows the headset to improve power usage in implementations where force determinations are performed more frequently. For example, the headset can be a battery-powered device, and the improved power usage can improve battery life. In other implementations, the headset can use signals from both the touch sensor and the force sensor, determining the applied force by using the detected force only when a touch is also detected.

[0043] In a specific embodiment, the first force electrode and the second force electrode can be implemented as separate parts of a single flexible circuit. The flexible circuit can flex to allow the first force electrode to move toward the second force electrode when a force is applied. The flexible circuit can also flex to allow the first force electrode to move away from the second force electrode when the force is no longer applied.

[0044] In some embodiments, the headset can detect a touch on a first side of the rod and a force on another side of the rod. The sides where the touch and force are detected can be opposite and substantially perpendicular to each other (oriented 180 degrees), so that when the user squeezes the rod between their fingers, the user can touch both sides simultaneously. The headset can determine the force and use it if a touch is detected, and may ignore the determined force if no touch is detected. In this way, the headset can use touch and force detection on both sides together to control the operation of the headset.

[0045] In some examples, when in use, the two sides can be oriented substantially perpendicular (90 degrees) to the user's head or other body part to prevent or reduce interference between the user's head and one or more sensors used to detect touch and / or force. For example, this orientation can prevent the sides from contacting the user's head or face during use of the headset. The user's head or face touching the sides may be mistakenly interpreted as input. Therefore, this orientation can reduce erroneous input by preventing the user's head or face from contacting the sides during use.

[0046] However, it should be understood that this is an example. In various embodiments, the side portions may be configured in other arrangements. For example, when a user wears the headset, the two side portions may be positioned 45 degrees apart from each other and 135 degrees apart from the user.

[0047] The following reference Figures 1A to 9 These and other embodiments are discussed. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein with respect to these drawings is for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting.

[0048] Figure 1AA block diagram is shown that illustrates exemplary functional relationships between exemplary components that may be used to implement the electronic device 101. The electronic device 101 may include a controller 132 that is operable to interpret various touches and / or forces applied to the electronic device 101 as inputs. For example, the electronic device 101 may be a headset having one or more input surfaces defined on a housing. The controller 132 may use one or more touch sensors 130 and / or force sensors 131 to detect a touch on one or more of the input surfaces, one or more forces applied to the input surface, and the like. For example, the electronic device 101 may include one or more mutual capacitance touch sensors, self-capacitance touch sensors, mutual capacitance force sensors, self-capacitance force sensors, strain gauges, optical sensors, pressure sensors, proximity sensors, switches, temperature sensors, dome switches, displacement sensors, and the like.

[0049] The electronic device 101 may also include an antenna 106, one or more non-transitory storage media 180 (which may be, but are not limited to, magnetic storage media; optical storage media; magneto-optical storage media; read-only memory; random access memory; erasable programmable memory; flash memory; etc.), and / or one or more other components. The controller 132 may execute instructions stored in the non-transitory storage medium 180 to perform various functions, such as using the touch sensor 130 to detect touch, using the force sensor 131 to detect applied force, using the antenna 106 to communicate with associated devices, etc.

[0050] Figure 1B An exemplary implementation of electronic device 101 is shown. As shown, in some implementations, electronic device 101 may be a headset. In this example, electronic device 101 is a wireless headset. However, it should be understood that this is an example. In various implementations, electronic device 101 may be any type of electronic device, such as a mobile computing device, a stylus, etc. A wide variety of configurations are possible and contemplated.

[0051] The electronic device 101 may include a housing including a speaker 102 and a stem 103. The stem 103 may define input surfaces 104a, 104b. A user may touch, press, hold, squeeze, and / or otherwise interact with one or more of the input surfaces 104a, 104b. This may allow the user to activate and / or otherwise provide touch, force, and / or other input to the electronic device 101.

[0052] The speaker 102 can cooperate with the user's ear to define an acoustic chamber. In some implementations, the speaker 102 can also include a microphone acoustic port 105.

[0053] As shown, the input surfaces 104a, 104b can be defined on opposite sides of the rod 103 (i.e., positioned opposite each other). Such positioning of the input surfaces 104a, 104b relative to each other can allow for the application of force by squeezing the input surfaces 104a, 104b. Figure 1A As mentioned above, the electronic device 101 may include a plurality of different sensors for detecting a touch and / or force applied to one or more of the input surfaces 104a and 104b.

[0054] For example, the electronic device 101 may detect a non-binary amount of force applied to one or more input surfaces 104a, 104b. The detected amount of force may be a non-binary amount because the electronic device 101 operates to determine the amount of force applied within a range of force amounts, rather than simply a binary detection of whether a force was applied. If the amount of force is less than a force threshold, the electronic device 101 may interpret the applied force as a first input. However, if the amount of force at least meets the force threshold, the electronic device 101 may interpret the force as a second input.

[0055] In some examples, electronic device 101 may determine other information about the touch or the force applied. For example, electronic device 101 (or its controller or other processing unit) may also determine the amount of time the force was applied. Electronic device 101 may interpret a force applied for an extended period of time as a different input than a force applied and then immediately released. In such examples, electronic device 101 may interpret the applied force as a variety of different types of inputs, depending on the amount of force applied, the amount of time the force was applied, the direction of the force applied, and / or other aspects of the force applied.

[0056] In some implementations, the input surfaces 104a, 104b may be indentations in the shaft 103. This may provide a physical cue to guide the user to the input surfaces 104a, 104b. However, it should be understood that this is an example. In other implementations, the input surfaces 104a, 104b may be configured in other ways without departing from the scope of this disclosure. By way of example, in other implementations, the input surfaces 104a, 104b may be raised portions of the shaft 103, ridges on the shaft 103, etc. without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0057] For example, in some implementations, the input surfaces 104a, 104b can be configured as protrusions from the shaft 103. In other implementations, the input surfaces 104a, 104b can be physically adjacent to the rest of the shaft 103, but can be indicated by a different color than the rest of the shaft 103. In other implementations, the input surfaces 104a, 104b can be visually indistinguishable from the rest of the shaft 103. A wide variety of configurations are possible and are contemplated.

[0058] In some examples, electronic device 101 may include both a force sensor and a touch sensor. For example, a force sensor may be positioned adjacent to one of input surfaces 104a, 104b, and a touch sensor may be positioned adjacent to the other of input surfaces 104a, 104b. Thus, electronic device 101 may be operable to determine both a touch and a force on input surfaces 104a, 104b.

[0059] In various examples, the electronic device 101 can use the force sensor to determine a non-binary amount of force applied only when a touch is detected. This can prevent false readings because objects other than the user can apply force to the housing. This can also reduce power consumption compared to operating the force sensor more frequently or continuously. In examples where the electronic device 101 is powered by one or more batteries and / or is otherwise portable, this reduced power consumption can save the life of the batteries and / or other components.

[0060] In other examples, the electronic device 101 may use a force sensor and a touch sensor to determine the amount of force. For example, the electronic device 101 may use the force sensor regardless of whether a touch is detected, but may use a signal from the force sensor only when a touch is detected.

[0061] In other examples, the force sensor may be positioned adjacent to both input surfaces 104a and 104b. The force sensor may operate at different power levels. The higher the power level at which the force sensor is operated, the higher the signal-to-noise ratio of the force data from the force sensor. Conversely, the lower the power level at which the force sensor is operated, the lower the signal-to-noise ratio of the force data, resulting in less accurate force data due to higher noise. A higher signal-to-noise ratio is ideal, while higher power is not. Since the force data from the two force sensors can be evaluated in this example to determine a non-binary quantity of the applied force, the force sensor can operate in a less accurate but less power-intensive manner. This may be because despite the lower power operation of the individual force sensors, the force data can still be combined to obtain a higher signal-to-noise ratio. Using multiple sets of force data can compensate for the less accurate but lower power operation of any one force sensor individually.

[0062] In other examples, multiple force sensors can be used for other purposes other than increasing the signal-to-noise ratio by averaging their data. For example, data from multiple force sensors can enable the determination of force vector information. In other words, multiple force sensors can enable the determination of both the magnitude and direction of a force. This force vector information can be used to distinguish between intentional application of force to provide input and accidental application of force, such as when a user adjusts the position of electronic device 101. Various configurations are possible and contemplated without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0063] As shown, the input surfaces 104a, 104b may be substantially perpendicular to the microphone acoustic port 105. This may prevent the input surfaces 104a, 104b from contacting the user's head during use of the electronic device 101.

[0064] Figure 1C Shows the use of Figure 1B FIG1 shows a user 190 of an exemplary electronic device 101. As shown, the user can simultaneously touch and apply force on the input surfaces 104a, 104b by squeezing the input surfaces 104a, 104b between the user's fingers and thumb. As also shown, the input surfaces 104a, 104b are positioned to prevent contact with the user's head during use of the electronic device 101.

[0065] Figure 1D The electronic device 101 is shown forming an acoustic chamber 191 with an ear canal 192 of a user 190. The acoustic chamber 191 may be defined by the speaker 102 of the electronic device 101 on one side of the ear canal 192 of the user 190 and the eardrum 193 of the user 190 on the other side of the ear canal 192 of the user 190. The electronic device 101 may transmit sound waves into the acoustic chamber 191 through the output acoustic port 121. In this way, the user 190 may be able to hear the sound waves without unduly disturbing people in the environment surrounding the user 190.

[0066] Figure 2A Shown along Figure 1B 1. An exemplary cross-sectional view of the electronic device 101 taken along line AA of FIG. Components 170 disposed within the stem 103 may include the flexible circuit 108, the spring member 109, the attachment spring member 107, the antenna 106, and the controller 132.

[0067] The flexible circuit 108 can form a touch sensor 130 adjacent to the input surface 104a and a force sensor 131 adjacent to the input surface 104b. Thus, the input surface 104a can be a touch input surface and the input surface 104b can be a force input surface.

[0068] In various implementations, when a touch is detected on the touch input surface, the force applied to the force input surface can be determined or estimated. This can reduce power consumption compared to implementations that perform force detection frequently or more frequently.

[0069] In other examples, force sensor 131 and touch sensor 130 can be used to determine the amount of force. For example, force sensor 131 can be operated regardless of whether a touch is detected, but the signal from force sensor 131 can only be used when touch sensor 130 detects a touch. This can ensure that the user intentionally applied the force.

[0070] The flexible circuit 108 may include a plurality of interconnected circuit sections. For example, as shown, the flexible circuit 108 may include a first circuit section 111, a second circuit section 113, and a third circuit section 112. The touch sensor 130 may be formed from the first circuit section 111. The force sensor 131 may be formed from the second circuit section 113 and the third circuit section 112.

[0071] The flexible circuit 108 can bend, bend, or otherwise deform to allow the second circuit portion 113 to move toward the third circuit portion 112 when a force is applied to the housing, such as a force input surface. This can reduce the gap 114 (which can be an air gap or otherwise filled with a dielectric material, such as silicone) between the second circuit portion 113 and the third circuit portion 112. The flexible circuit 108 can also bend, bend, or otherwise deform to allow the second circuit portion 113 to move away from the third circuit portion 112 when the force is no longer applied. Figure 2B shows the effect of applying force to input surfaces 104a, 104b. Figure 2A electronic device 101.

[0072] Reference Figure 2A and Figure 2B , a spring member 109 may be disposed within the stem 103. The spring member 109 may bias the second circuit portion 113 toward the force input surface of the stem 103. In other words, the spring member 109 may maintain the second circuit portion 113 in an initial position (shown) in the absence of a force, allow the second circuit portion 113 to move when a force is applied to move the stem 103, and allow the second circuit portion 113 to return to the initial position when the force is no longer applied. The spring member 109 may also bias the first circuit portion 111 toward the touch input surface of the stem 103.

[0073] The spring member 109 may be a torsion spring and / or any other type of spring. The spring member 109 may be formed from metal, plastic, combinations thereof, or the like. The spring member 109 may include a first arm 110a and a second arm 110b, such that the spring member 109 may have an M-shaped cross-section. The first arm 110a may bias the first circuit portion 111 toward the touch input surface of the shaft 103. The second arm 110b may bias the second circuit portion 113 toward the force input surface of the shaft 103. In other implementations, the spring member 109 may be shaped in other ways, such as embodiments in which the spring member 109 has a C-shaped cross-section, a U-shaped cross-section, or the like.

[0074] Various portions of the flexible circuit 108 may be coupled or connected to the spring member 109. For example, an adhesive may couple the flexible circuit 108 to the spring member 109, the first circuit portion 111 to the first arm 110a, the second circuit portion 113 to the second arm 110b, and so on.

[0075] As shown, the first circuit portion 111 is positioned between the first arm 110a of the rod 103 and the inner surface 171. As also shown, the second arm 110b is shown as being positioned between the second circuit portion 113 of the rod 103 and the inner surface 171. However, these are exemplary. In various implementations, these positionings may be reversed and / or otherwise modified without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0076] This configuration of flexible circuit 108 and spring member 109 can allow touch sensor 130 and / or force sensor 131 to be disposed within stem 103 without being laminated and / or otherwise attached to stem 103. This can simplify the manufacture of electronic device 101.

[0077] The flexible circuit 108 can be coupled to an attachment spring member 107 (the spring member 109 is a mobile spring member because the spring member 109 facilitates movement rather than attaching the flexible circuit 108) or other attachment member, such as using an adhesive. The attachment spring member 107 can be clamped or otherwise attached to the antenna 106. The antenna 106 can be an assembly including an antenna carrier having an antenna resonator made of a conductive material (such as gold, silver, copper, an alloy, etc.) disposed thereon. The antenna 106 can be held in place by the rod 103. By being coupled to the antenna 106, other components (such as the attachment spring member 107, the flexible circuit 108, and the spring member 109) can also be held in place.

[0078] Although the attachment spring member 107 is shown and described above as being attached around the antenna 106, it should be understood that this is an example. In other implementations, the attachment spring member 107 and / or other elements (such as the flexible circuit 108, the spring member 109, etc.) can be attached to other components without departing from the scope of this disclosure. For example, in some implementations, the electronic device 101 can include a battery pack. In such implementations, the attachment spring member 107 can be attached to the battery pack.

[0079] Reference Figure 2A and Figure 2B , a controller 132 or other processor or processing unit (or other control circuitry) may also be disposed in the shaft 103. The controller 132 may be electrically connected and / or otherwise communicatively coupled to various portions of the flexible circuit 108. The controller 132 may receive and / or evaluate touch data from the touch sensor 130, receive and / or evaluate force data from the force sensor 131, use the touch data to determine one or more touches, use the force data (and / or other information about the force, such as the duration for which the force was applied) to determine a non-binary amount of force applied, and the like. The controller 132 may be connected to a non-transitory storage medium that may store instructions executable by the controller 132.

[0080] In various implementations, when the touch sensor detects a touch on the rod 103 or other portion of the housing (such as input surface 104a), the controller 132 may use only the force sensor 131 to detect the force applied to the rod 103 or other portion of the housing (such as input surface 104b). In some examples, the touch is on a first area of the housing, and the force is applied to a second area of the housing. In various examples, the first area is positioned relative to the second area. In many examples, during use of the headset, both the first area and the second area are positioned approximately 90 degrees to the user's head. In various examples, the touch sensor 130 is not operable to detect a touch on the second area. In many examples, the controller 132 is operable to interpret the force as a variety of different types of inputs.

[0081] Although the input is shown and described above as a touch and / or force applied to the input surfaces 104a, 104b, it should be understood that this is an example. In various implementations, the electronic device 101 can be operated to detect touch and / or force applied to other parts of the housing without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0082] For example, when a force is applied to an area orthogonal to input surfaces 104a, 104b, rod 103 may move. This may cause gap 114 to increase rather than decrease. Regardless, this may change the capacitance between second circuit portion 113 and third circuit portion 112. Therefore, a non-binary amount of force can be determined using force data represented by changes in mutual capacitance.

[0083] In some implementations, this change can be inversely proportional to the change in mutual capacitance generated by the force applied to the input surface 104b. Thus, the location where the force is applied can be determined based on the change in mutual capacitance. Various configurations are possible and contemplated without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0084] The flexible circuit 108 can be a flexible printed circuit board (eg, a "flex circuit"). In some implementations, the flexible circuit 108 can be formed of a conductive material such as copper, silver, gold, or other metal traces formed on a dielectric such as polyimide or polyester.

[0085] The first circuit portion 111 forming the touch sensor 130 may include one or more touch electrodes. For example, the first circuit portion 111 may include touch drive electrodes and touch sensing electrodes. A touch on the touch input surface may be determined using a change in the mutual capacitance of the touch drive electrodes and the touch sensing electrodes. As another example, the first circuit portion 111 may include a single touch electrode, and a change in the self-capacitance of the single touch electrode may be used to determine a touch on the touch input surface.

[0086] The second circuit portion 113 forming the force sensor 131 may include a first force electrode, and the third circuit portion 112 may include a second force electrode. For example, in some implementations, the first force electrode may be a force driving electrode, and the second force electrode may be a force sensing electrode. In other implementations, these may be reversed. Changes in mutual capacitance between the second circuit portion 113 and the third circuit portion 112 (such as between the first force electrode and the second force electrode included in the second circuit portion 113 and the third circuit portion 112, respectively) may be used to determine a non-binary quantity of force.

[0087] Thus, in some implementations, both touch sensor 130 and force sensor 131 may be capacitive sensors. Both may be mutual capacitance sensors. However, it should be understood that this is an example. In various implementations, one or more of touch sensor 130 and force sensor 131 may be self-capacitive sensors and / or another type of sensor without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0088] For example, Figure 3A shows that it can be used to implement Figure 2A 1. A first side of an exemplary flexible circuit 108 of an electronic device 101 is shown in FIG. Figure 3B Shown Figure 3A The second side of the exemplary flexible circuit 108 is shown in FIG. Figure 3A and Figure 3B 1 shows how a single sheet or other structure of dielectric material (such as polyimide, polyester, etc.) can be configured to form first circuit portion 111, second circuit portion 113, and third circuit portion 112; components such as controller 132, touch drive electrodes 117, touch sense electrodes 118, first force electrodes 120, and second force electrodes 119 can be coupled thereto; and conductive material such as metal traces can be added thereto to connect such components. Figures 2A to 2B As shown in , the single sheet or other structure may then be bent, folded, and / or otherwise deformed to configure the flexible circuit 108 .

[0089] For example, the flexible circuit 108 can be folded along line CC so that the first circuit portion 111 including the touch drive electrodes 117 and the touch sense electrodes 118 is positioned approximately perpendicular to the center portion of the flexible circuit 108. Similarly, the flexible circuit 108 can be folded along lines DD and FF so that the second circuit portion 113 including the first force electrode 120 and the third circuit portion 112 including the second force electrode 119 are positioned approximately perpendicular to the center portion of the flexible circuit 108. The flexible circuit 108 can then be folded along line EE so that the second circuit portion 113 including the first force electrode 120 and the third circuit portion 112 including the second force electrode 119 are positioned approximately parallel to each other. Finally, the flexible circuit 108 can be folded along line BB to position the controller 132 above the center portion of the flexible circuit 108. This can result in a circuit similar to Figures 2A to 2B and Figure 4 Configuration shown.

[0090] Figure 4 The antenna 106 is shown with the housing removed. Figure 2A Component 170 of electronic device 101. Figures 2A to 2B The portions of the spring member 109, first arm 110a, first circuit portion 111, second arm 110b, and second circuit portion 113 that contact the rod 103 are shown as being substantially flat. However, it should be understood that this is an example and is illustrated in this manner for the purposes of simplicity and clarity. In various implementations, various features (such as one or more protrusions, springs, and / or other features) may be configured on or between one or more of these components without departing from the scope of this disclosure. A wide variety of configurations are possible and can be envisioned.

[0091] Figure 5 shows that it can be used to implement Figure 2AAn exemplary stackup of touch sensor 130 is shown in FIG. The orientation of the stackup may correspond to Figure 2A The positions of the stem 103, the first circuit portion 111, and the first arm 110a are shown. The stack may include the stem 103, the first circuit portion 111, the adhesive 115, and the first arm 110a. The first circuit portion 111 may include one or more touch drive electrodes 117 and touch sense electrodes 118 positioned on or within a dielectric 116 (such as polyimide, polyester, etc.).

[0092] The user's touch on the rod 103 may change the capacitance between the touch drive electrode 117 and the touch sense electrode 118. Figure 3A and Figure 3B As shown, controller 132 may be electrically connected to touch drive electrodes 117 and touch sense electrodes 118 and may monitor the capacitance between touch drive electrodes 117 and touch sense electrodes 118 to determine when a touch occurs using a change in capacitance.

[0093] Touch drive electrodes 117 and touch sense electrodes 118 are shown as having a particular configuration and orientation relative to each other. The configuration and orientation of touch drive electrodes 117 and touch sense electrodes 118 relative to each other can affect the capacitance between touch drive electrodes 117 and touch sense electrodes 118 and how that capacitance changes when a user touches pins 103. Touch drive electrodes 117 and touch sense electrodes 118 can be arranged in a variety of different configurations and orientations to achieve specific properties with respect to the capacitance between touch drive electrodes 117 and touch sense electrodes 118 and how that capacitance changes when a user touches pins 103.

[0094] Figure 6 shows that it can be used to implement Figure 2A An exemplary stack of force sensors 131 is shown. The stack may be oriented to correspond to Figure 2A 10. The stack includes a rod 103, a second arm 110b, a second circuit portion 113, a third circuit portion 112, an attachment spring member 107, and an antenna 106. The stack may include the antenna 106, the attachment spring member 107, an adhesive 115, the third circuit portion 112, a gap 114, the second circuit portion 113, the adhesive 115, the second arm 110b, and the rod 103. The second circuit portion 113 may include one or more first force electrodes 120 positioned on or within a dielectric 116 (such as polyimide, polyester, etc.). The third circuit portion 112 may include one or more second force electrodes 119 positioned on or within a dielectric 116 (such as polyimide, polyester, etc.). In some implementations, the first force electrode 120 may be a force driving electrode, and the second force electrode 119 may be a force sensing electrode. In other implementations, the first force electrode 120 may be a force sensing electrode, and the second force electrode 119 may be a force driving electrode.

[0095] The force applied by the user to the rod 103 may change the gap 114 between the first force electrode 120 and the second force electrode 119. Changing the gap 114 between the first force electrode 120 and the second force electrode 119 may change the capacitance between the first force electrode 120 and the second force electrode 119. Figure 3A and Figure 3B As shown, the controller 132 may be electrically connected to the first force electrode 120 and the second force electrode 119 and may monitor the capacitance between the first force electrode 120 and the second force electrode 119 to determine or estimate a non-binary amount of force applied using a change in capacitance.

[0096] The first force electrode 120 and the second force electrode 119 are shown as having a particular configuration and orientation relative to each other. The configuration and orientation of the first force electrode 120 and the second force electrode 119 relative to each other can affect the capacitance between the first force electrode 120 and the second force electrode 119 and how this capacitance changes when a user applies a force to the rod 103. The first force electrode 120 and the second force electrode 119 can be arranged in a variety of different configurations and orientations to obtain specific characteristics with respect to the capacitance between the first force electrode 120 and the second force electrode 119 and how this capacitance changes when a user applies a force to the rod 103.

[0097] Figures 2A to 6 The touch sensor 130 and force sensor 131 are shown and described as having a specific configuration and a specific mode of operation. However, it should be understood that these are examples and other specific implementations are possible and contemplated. For example, the touch sensor 130 may be replaced by one or more proximity sensors without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0098] As another example, in some implementations, one or more strain gauges may be laminated adjacent to one or more of input surfaces 104a, 104b and / or otherwise coupled or attached to an interior region of the housing. An applied force may induce strain within or on the housing. The strain gauge may detect this strain. Such strain data may be evaluated to determine a non-binary quantity of applied force.

[0099] As another example, in some implementations, one or more touch sensors or force sensors (and / or one or more touch sensing electrodes of such touch sensors or force sensors) can be laminated adjacent to one or more of input surfaces 104a, 104b and / or otherwise coupled or attached to an interior region of the housing (and / or embedded within the housing). When a force is applied, the housing can deform from an initial position and return to the initial position when the force is removed. Thus, in some embodiments, the housing can function as a spring member 109. The touch sensor or force sensor can detect deformation and output a signal that can be used to determine the amount of touch and / or applied force.

[0100] In some examples, one or more switches (such as one or more dome switches) can be positioned adjacent to input surfaces 104a, 104b. An applied force can deform the housing, which can collapse the dome and close the switch. The output from the switch can be used to determine a non-binary amount of applied force.

[0101] In various examples, one or more optical sensors can be disposed in the housing. The optical sensors can detect movement of the housing caused by the applied force. In such examples, the output from the optical sensors can be evaluated to determine a non-binary amount of the applied force.

[0102] In many examples, one or more temperature sensors can be used to detect changes in the temperature of input surfaces 104a, 104b. When user 190 applies different amounts of force to input surfaces 104a, 104b, the body of user 190 can change the temperature of input surfaces 104a, 104b. For example, when user 190 applies force to input surfaces 104a, 104b, the body heat of user 190 can be transferred to input surfaces 104a, 104b, thereby increasing the temperature of input surfaces 104a, 104b. The greater the force applied by user 190, the higher the temperature of input surfaces 104a, 104b caused by this transfer of heat. Therefore, a non-binary amount of force can be determined based on the temperature changes detected by the temperature sensor.

[0103] In some examples, one or more pressure sensors may be disposed within the housing. The pressure sensors may measure the pressure of an internal cavity defined within the housing. A force applied to one or more of input surfaces 104a and 104b may change the pressure of the internal cavity. Electronic device 101 may determine a non-binary amount of force based on the pressure changes detected by the pressure sensors.

[0104] In various examples, the force can be determined using the self-capacitance of the force electrodes. By way of example, Figure 7 Shown Figure 2A1 . The electronic device 701 may include a rod 703 of a housing defining a touch input surface 704a and a force input surface 704b. The electronic device 701 may also include a flexible circuit 708 having a first circuit portion 711 forming a touch sensor 730 and a second circuit portion 712 forming a force sensor 731. The electronic device 701 may additionally include a spring member 709 having a first arm 710a and a second arm 710b that bias the first circuit portion 711 toward the touch input surface 704a.

[0105] The second circuit portion 712 may include a force electrode. The force sensor 731 may monitor the self-capacitance of the force electrode. Depending on the size of the gap 714 between the second circuit portion 712 and the second arm 710b, the second arm 710b may act as a ground, affecting the self-capacitance. Changes in the self-capacitance of the force electrode may be used to determine a non-binary quantity of force applied to the force input surface 704b.

[0106] Additionally, electronic device 701 may include antenna assembly 706, attachment spring 707 coupled to antenna assembly 706 and flexible circuit 708. Furthermore, electronic device 701 may include controller 732 electrically and / or otherwise communicatively coupled to flexible circuit 708.

[0107] In other specific implementations, one or more of the components of the electronic device 701 can be changed. For example, in some specific implementations, the touch sensor 730 can be replaced by a proximity sensor. In such specific implementations, the force sensor 731 can operate when the proximity sensor is used to detect proximity.

[0108] In other examples, touch sensor 730 may be replaced by another force sensor. The force sensor may be similar to force sensor 731, Figures 2A to 2B The force sensors 131 may be configured with multiple force sensors (such as using a third force electrode and a fourth force electrode that move relative to each other when force is applied or removed, wherein a non-binary amount of force can be determined based on a change in mutual capacitance between the third force electrode and the fourth force electrode) and / or configured in other ways. In such cases where multiple force sensors are used, touch or proximity may not be used to trigger operation of the force sensors. In such examples, two force sensors may be operated more frequently. In some implementations, the two force sensors may operate at lower power, thereby producing less accurate measurements. The less accurate measurements may be compensated for by using the additional force data provided by having multiple force sensors.

[0109] In some implementations, the touch input surface 704a and the force input surface 704b may be reversed. One or more of the touch sensor 730 or the force sensor 731 may be more sensitive to interference from near the user's neck or other body part. Therefore, the corresponding sensor may be positioned as far away from the body part as possible to minimize interference. Various configurations are possible and contemplated without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0110] Figure 8 Shown Figure 2A 1. A second alternative example of electronic device 101 is shown. In this example, electronic device 801 may electrically connect flexible circuit 808 to spring member 809 and attached spring member 807. Insulator 840 may separate and / or electrically isolate spring member 809 and attached spring member 807 from each other. Movement of first arm 810a and second arm 810b relative to attached spring member 807 changes the capacitance between spring member 809 and attached spring member 807. In this example, electronic device 801 may use the change in capacitance between spring member 809 and attached spring member 807 to determine the amount of applied force. Thus, spring member 809 and attached spring member 807 may function as electrodes of a force sensor.

[0111] In some implementations of this example, the attachment spring member 807 can serve as the driving force sensor and the spring member 809 can serve as the sensing force electrode. However, in other examples, the roles of these electrodes can be reversed without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0112] Figure 9 Shown Figure 2A 901. In this exemplary electronic device 901, a controller 932 can be electrically connected to an attachment spring member 907 via a flexible circuit 908. The controller 932 can be operable to monitor the self-capacitance of the attachment spring member 907. The spring member 909 can also be coupled to the controller 932, such as via a laser weld 941, so as to be operable as a ground for the attachment spring member 907. Movement of the first arm 910a and the second arm 910b relative to the attachment spring member 907 changes the self-capacitance of the attachment spring member 907. In this example, the electronic device 901 can use the change in the self-capacitance of the attachment spring member 907 to determine the amount of force applied.

[0113] While this example uses spring member 909 as a ground for the self-capacitance of attached spring member 907, it should be understood that this is an example. In other implementations, spring member 909 can be electrically connected to controller 932 so that controller 932 can operate to monitor the mutual capacitance between spring member 909 and attached spring member 907.

[0114] Figure 10Shown Figure 2A A fourth alternative example of an electronic device 1001 is shown. In this exemplary electronic device 1001, a spring member 1009 can allow a flexible circuit 1008 to move relative to an attached spring member 1007 when a force is applied. Flexible circuit 1008 can be electrically coupled to attached spring member 1007, which can be electrically isolated from spring member 1009 by insulator 1040. Movement of first arm 1010a and second arm 1010b of spring member 1009 can change the capacitance between attached spring member 1007 and circuitry included in flexible circuit 1008. This capacitance can be used to determine the amount of force applied. Thus, one or more portions of attached spring member 1007 and / or flexible circuit 1008 can form a force sensor and / or touch sensor.

[0115] In other implementations, the insulator 1040 may be omitted. In such other implementations, the spring member 1009 may be formed by a spring similar to Figure 9 The controller 932 and flex circuit 908 of FIGURE 10 is coupled to the spring member 909 and the attached spring member 907. The controller and flex circuit 908 of FIGURE 10 is coupled to the attached spring member 1007. Various configurations are possible and contemplated without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0116] In various implementations, an earphone includes a housing, a flexible circuit disposed in the housing, and a controller disposed in the housing. The housing includes a speaker and a stem extending from the speaker and defining a touch input surface and a force input surface opposite the touch input surface. The flexible circuit includes a first circuit portion, a second circuit portion, and a third circuit portion. The flexible circuit flexes to allow the second circuit portion to move toward the third circuit portion when a force is applied to the force input surface, and to allow the second circuit portion to move away from the third circuit portion when the force is no longer applied. The controller is operable to determine a touch on the touch input surface using a non-binary quantity of a first change in a first mutual capacitance detected using the first circuit portion and a second change in a second mutual capacitance detected using the second circuit portion and the third circuit portion.

[0117] In some examples, the controller uses the second circuit portion and the third circuit portion to determine a non-binary amount of force when determining a touch. In many examples, the headset further includes an antenna disposed within the housing. The flexible circuit can be mounted to the antenna. In some examples, the speaker defines an acoustic port, and the touch input surface and the force input surface are substantially orthogonal to the acoustic port.

[0118] In various examples, the controller determines an amount of time when the force is applied. In some examples, if the non-binary amount of the force is below a force threshold, the controller interprets the force as a first input, and if the non-binary amount of the force at least satisfies the force threshold, the controller interprets the force as a second input.

[0119] In some implementations, an electronic device includes a housing defining a force input surface, a first force electrode disposed within the housing, a second force electrode disposed within the housing, a spring member that biases the first force electrode toward the housing and allows the first force electrode to move toward the second force electrode when an input force is applied to the force input surface, and a controller. The controller is operable to determine a non-binary quantity of force using a change in capacitance between the first force electrode and the second force electrode. The capacitance may be a mutual capacitance.

[0120] In some examples, the electronic device further comprises a touch sensor disposed within the housing. In some embodiments of such examples, the housing defines a touch input surface, and the spring member comprises a first arm that biases the touch sensor toward the touch input surface and a second arm that biases the first force electrode toward the force input surface.

[0121] In various examples, the spring member is at least one of metal or plastic.In many examples, the spring member has an M-shaped cross section.

[0122] In some examples, the housing defines an additional force input surface. In some embodiments of such examples, the earphone further comprises a third force electrode disposed within the housing adjacent to the additional force input surface and a fourth force electrode disposed within the housing. In such embodiments, the non-binary amount of input force is determined using the capacitance between the first force electrode and the second force electrode and the additional capacitance between the third force electrode and the fourth force electrode.

[0123] In many examples, the controller is operable to use an additive change in capacitance between the first force electrode and the second force electrode to determine an additional force applied to an area of the housing other than the force input surface. The area can be orthogonal to the force input surface, and the additive change in capacitance can be opposite to the change in mutual capacitance.

[0124] Figure 11 A flow chart illustrating an exemplary method 1100 for operating a device including a force sensor is shown. The method may be used Figures 1A to 2B The electronic device 101 is used to execute.

[0125] At 1110, the controller determines whether a touch is detected. The controller may use one or more touch sensors to determine whether a touch is detected. If so, the process continues to 1120. Otherwise, the process returns to 1110, where the controller again determines whether a touch is detected.

[0126] At 1120, after detecting a touch, the controller uses the force sensor to detect force data. The process then proceeds to 1130, where the controller determines or estimates a non-binary force from the force data. The process then returns to 1110, where the controller again determines whether a touch is detected.

[0127] Although the example method 1100 is shown and described as including specific operations performed in a specific order, it is to be understood that this is an example. In various implementations, the same, similar, and / or different operations may be performed in various orders without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0128] For example, in some implementations, the determined non-binary amount of force can be used to perform an action. In some examples, the controller can interpret the determined non-binary amount of force as an input. The controller can perform one or more actions based on the input corresponding to the determined non-binary amount of force.

[0129] In various implementations, an earphone includes a housing, a spring member disposed within the housing that moves when a force is applied to the housing, a touch sensor coupled to the spring member, a touch sensor coupled to the spring member and configured to detect a touch on the housing, a force sensor coupled to the spring member, and a controller that determines an amount of force using the force sensor and the touch sensor.

[0130] In some examples, the touch is on a first area of the housing and the force is applied to a second area of the housing. In various such examples, the first area is positioned relative to the second area. In some such examples, during use of the headset, both the first area and the second area are positioned approximately 90 degrees from the user's head.

[0131] In various examples, the touch sensor is not operable to detect a touch on the second area.In some examples, the controller is operable to interpret the force as a variety of different kinds of input.

[0132] Figure 12 A flow chart illustrating an exemplary method 1200 for assembling an electronic device is shown. The method 1200 may assemble Figure 2A electronic equipment.

[0133] At 1210, the attachment spring member may be coupled to the antenna. At 1220, the flexible circuit may be coupled to the attachment spring member. At 1230, the flexible circuit may be coupled to the movable spring member. At 1240, the movable spring member may be deformed. For example, the movable spring member may be deformed so that the assembly resulting from 1210 to 1230 can fit into an opening in the housing. At 1250, the assembly resulting from 1210 to 1240 is inserted into the housing. At 1260, the housing is sealed.

[0134] For example, the sealed housing may include an opening for coupling the top cover to the housing into which the assembly created by steps 1210 through 1240 is inserted. The opening may be in the end of a stem of the housing. The electronic device may be a headset having a housing that includes a stem and a speaker.

[0135] Although the example method 1200 is shown and described as including specific operations performed in a specific order, it is to be understood that this is an example. In various implementations, the same, similar, and / or different operations may be performed in various orders without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0136] For example, method 1200 is shown and described as deforming the mobile spring member and then inserting the assembly resulting from steps 1210 through 1240 into the housing. However, in some implementations, inserting the assembly into the housing may sufficiently deform the mobile spring member to allow insertion. In such implementations, the separate operation of deforming the mobile spring member may be omitted.

[0137] As described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, the present disclosure relates to a force-activated electronic device, such as a headset. A non-binary amount of force applied to a force input surface defined by a housing is determined using a change in capacitance between a first force electrode and a second force electrode. A spring member disposed within the housing biases the first force electrode toward the housing and allows it to move toward the second force electrode when a force is applied. In some implementations, the headset can detect a touch on the touch input surface defined by the housing. In various examples of such implementations, the headset can determine a non-binary amount of force when a touch is detected. In other implementations, the headset can use signals from both a touch sensor and a force sensor to determine the applied force. In a specific embodiment, the first force electrode and the second force electrode can be implemented using separate portions of a single flexible circuit. The flexible circuit can flex to allow the first force electrode to move toward the second force electrode when a force is applied. When the force is no longer applied, the flexible circuit can also flex to allow the first force electrode to move away from the second force electrode.

[0138] In the present disclosure, the disclosed methods can be implemented using one or more sets of device-readable instructions or software. In addition, it should be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the disclosed methods is an example of a sample method. In other embodiments, while remaining within the disclosed subject matter, the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the method can be rearranged. The accompanying method claims present elements of various steps in a sample order and are not necessarily meant to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.

[0139] The present disclosure as described may be provided as a computer program product or software that may include a non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which non-transitory machine-readable medium can be used to program a computer system (or other electronic device) to perform a process according to the present disclosure. Non-transitory machine-readable media include any mechanism for storing information in a form (e.g., software, processing application) readable by a machine (e.g., a computer). Non-transitory machine-readable media may take the form of, but is not limited to, magnetic storage media (e.g., floppy disks, video cassettes, etc.); optical storage media (e.g., CD-ROMs); magneto-optical storage media; read-only memory (ROM); random access memory (RAM); erasable programmable memory (e.g., EPROM and EEPROM); flash memory; and the like.

[0140] For illustrative purposes, the foregoing description uses specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details are not required to practice the embodiments. Therefore, the foregoing descriptions of the specific embodiments described herein are presented for illustration and description purposes. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, in view of the above teachings, many modifications and variations are possible.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising: a housing defining a first force input surface and a second force input surface opposite the first force input surface; a curved flexible circuit disposed in the housing and comprising a first circuit portion including a first force electrode of the first force sensor adjacent to the first force input surface, a second circuit portion including a second force electrode of the first force sensor, a third circuit portion including a third force electrode of the second force sensor adjacent to the second force input surface, and a fourth circuit portion including a fourth force electrode of the second force sensor; a spring member coupled to the curved flex circuit and comprising a first arm and a second arm, the first arm biasing the first force electrode toward a first force input surface and allowing the first force electrode to move toward the second force electrode when a first input force is applied to the first force input surface, and the second arm biasing the third force electrode toward the second force input surface and allowing the third force electrode to move toward the fourth force electrode when a second input force is applied to the second force input surface; and A controller is operable to determine a first non-binary quantity of a first input force using a first change in a first capacitance between the first force electrode and the second force electrode, and to determine a second non-binary quantity of a second input force using a second change in a second capacitance between the third force electrode and the fourth force electrode. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the first capacitance is a mutual capacitance. 3 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the spring member is at least one of metal or plastic. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the spring member has an M-shaped cross section. 5 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the controller determines the input using a first non-binary quantity of the first input force and a second non-binary quantity of the second input force.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is operable to use the additional change in the first capacitance between the first force electrode and the second force electrode to determine an additional force applied to an area of the housing other than the first force input surface.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein: The region is normal to the first force input surface; and The additional change in the first capacitance is opposite to the first change in the first capacitance.

8. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein The controller is operable to simultaneously determine a first non-binary quantity for a first input force and a second non-binary quantity for a second input force.

9. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein The controller determines the input using a combination of a first non-binary quantity of the first input force and a second non-binary quantity of the second input force.

10. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein The controller is operable to interpret the first input force as a plurality of different types of inputs.

11. A headset comprising: a housing defining a first force input surface and a second force input surface opposite the first force input surface; a curved flexible circuit disposed in the housing and comprising a first circuit portion, a second circuit portion, a third circuit portion, and a fourth circuit portion, the first circuit portion comprising a first force electrode of a first force sensor adjacent to a first force input surface, the second circuit portion comprising a second force electrode of the first force sensor, the third circuit portion comprising a third force electrode of a second force sensor adjacent to a second force input surface, and the fourth circuit portion comprising a fourth force electrode of the second force sensor, the first force sensor being configured to detect a first force applied to the first force input surface, and the second force sensor being configured to detect a second force applied to the second force input surface; a spring member coupled to the curved flex circuit and disposed within the housing, the spring member comprising a first arm biasing the first force electrode toward a first force input surface and a second arm biasing the third force electrode toward a second force input surface; and A controller is provided that uses the first signal from the first force sensor and the second signal from the second force sensor to determine an amount of at least one force applied to the housing.

12. The earphone of claim 11, wherein during use of the earphone, both the first force input surface and the second force input surface are positioned at approximately 90 degrees to the user's head.

13. The headset of claim 11, wherein the controller is operable to interpret the at least one force as a plurality of different types of inputs.

14. The earphone of claim 11, wherein the at least one force comprises a first magnitude of a first force and a second magnitude of a second force.

15. A headset comprising: A housing, comprising: Speakers; and a rod extending from the speaker and defining: a first force input surface; and a second force input surface opposite the first force input surface; a curved flexible circuit disposed in the housing and comprising a first circuit portion including a first force electrode of a first force sensor adjacent to a first force input surface, a second circuit portion including a second force electrode of the first force sensor, a third circuit portion including a third force electrode of a second force sensor adjacent to a second force input surface, and a fourth circuit portion including a fourth force electrode of the second force sensor; and a spring member coupled to the curved flexible circuit and disposed within the housing, the spring member comprising a first arm and a second arm, the first arm biasing the first circuit portion toward a first force input surface, and permitting the first circuit portion to move toward the second circuit portion when a first force is applied to the first force input surface; and allowing the first circuit portion to move away from the second circuit portion when the first force is no longer applied; and The second arm biases the third circuit portion toward the second force input surface, and permitting the third circuit portion to move toward the fourth circuit portion when a second force is applied to the second force input surface; and allowing the third circuit portion to move away from the fourth circuit portion when the second force is no longer applied; and A controller is disposed within the housing and is operable to determine a first non-binary quantity of a first force using a first change in a first mutual capacitance detected using the first circuit portion and the second circuit portion, and to determine a second non-binary quantity of a second force using a second change in a second mutual capacitance detected using the third circuit portion and the fourth circuit portion.

16. The headset according to claim 15, wherein The controller simultaneously determines a first non-binary quantity of the first force and a second non-binary quantity of the second force.

17. The headset according to claim 15, further comprising: an antenna disposed within the housing; wherein: The curved flexible circuit is mounted to the antenna.

18. The headset of claim 15, wherein: The speaker defines an acoustic port; and The first force input surface and the second force input surface are substantially orthogonal to the acoustic port.

19. The earphone of claim 15, wherein the controller determines an amount of time that the first force is applied.

20. The headset of claim 15, wherein: If the first non-binary quantity of the first force is below a force threshold, the controller interprets the first force as a first input; and The controller interprets the first force as a second input if the first non-binary quantity of the first force satisfies at least the force threshold.

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