Computer mouse and method of operating a computer mouse

Abstract

The present invention relates to computer mice and methods of operating computer mice. In some embodiments, a computer mouse includes a housing, a depressible key pad, and a haptic element coupled to a bottom surface of the depressible key pad. The haptic element can be configured to operate in a plurality of operating modes including a first mode and a second mode. In the first operating mode, the haptic element can generate a haptic output that statically and unidirectionally deflects the haptic element and coupled key pad and holds the key pad at a deflection distance. In the second operating mode, the haptic element can generate a second haptic output that bi-directionally deflects the haptic element relative to the deflection distance, thereby generating a vibrational feedback superimposed on the unidirectional deflection at the deflection distance. In some aspects, the haptic element is a piezoelectric device, and the control signal is a voltage applied to the haptic element.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 578,121, filed August 22, 2023, entitled “HAPTICS AND SENSINGSYSTEMS FOR AN INPUT DEVICE,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. Technical Field

[0003] This invention relates to a computer mouse and a method of operating a computer mouse. Background Technology

[0004] Haptic and haptic technologies can encompass any technology capable of creating a tactile experience by generating force, vibration, or motion applied to a user. Haptic devices can incorporate haptic sensors that measure the force a user applies to an interface, which can be used, for example, to adjust the amount of haptic feedback. Simple haptic devices typically take the form of game controllers, joysticks, steering wheels, and smartphones. Haptic sensation can be categorized as passive and active, and the term "haptic" is generally associated with active touching for communication or object recognition.

[0005] Despite significant improvements, research, and development in the field of sensing and haptics in recent years, better solutions are still needed to integrate sensing and / or haptics into computer peripherals to improve the user experience through the more powerful and feature-rich enhancements that haptics can provide. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In some embodiments, a computer mouse includes: a housing; a depressable keypad disposed within the housing, the keypad including a top surface and a bottom surface; a carrier platform including a top side and disposed within the housing; a haptic element coupled to the top side of the carrier platform; a biasing system configured to couple the carrier platform to the housing and provide a preload force to push the haptic element coupled to the carrier platform against the bottom surface of the depressable keypad; and a limiter element operable to physically limit the range of motion of the keypad in one direction, preventing the top surface of the keypad from deflecting beyond an adjacent top surface of the housing due to the preload force, wherein the top surface of the keypad and the adjacent top surface of the housing form a continuous profile when the depressable keypad is in an unpressed neutral position. The biasing system may include a mechanical fastener mechanically coupling the carrier to the housing and allowing the carrier platform to move relative to the housing within its range of motion, and a biasing element compressed when the mechanical fastener is coupled to the housing. A combination of biasing elements and mechanical fasteners can provide a preloaded force to push the tactile element against the bottom surface of the pressable keyplate. In some aspects, the combination of the keyplate, tactile element, and carrier can be operated to be pressed together in response to pressure on the top surface of the keyplate. A biasing element (e.g., a mechanical spring) can provide a restoring force that moves the combination of the keyplate, tactile element, and carrier from any pressed position within its movable range back to a neutral position in which the top surface of the keyplate is continuously profiled aligned with the adjacent top surface of the housing.

[0007] In some embodiments, the limiter element is coupled to the keypad and includes a lip extending laterally beyond an end of the keypad, wherein the lip of the limiter element contacts a portion of the housing and prevents the edge of the top surface of the keypad from significantly deviating from the adjacent top surface of the housing. The limiter element may be coupled to the keypad or to a carrier platform, may be a rigid mechanical structure, may be flexible, and may be spring-loaded or include a soft damper, may be a piston-type structure with a spring pin or reverse spring pin configuration, or any combination thereof. The housing may include the top shell of the computer mouse. In some cases, a soft layer covers the top shell of the computer mouse and the top surface of the pressable keypad. In some cases, the carrier platform is a flexible carrier platform and operates as a biasing element to provide a preloaded force to push the tactile element against the bottom surface of the pressable keyplate. The combination of the keyplate, tactile element, and carrier platform can be operated to be pressed together in response to pressure on the top surface of the keyplate, and the flexible carrier platform provides a restoring force that moves the combination of the keyplate, tactile element, and carrier from any pressed position within the movable range back to a neutral position in which the top surface of the keyplate is planar aligned with the top surface of the housing.

[0008] In some embodiments, a computer mouse includes: a housing; a depressable keypad coupled to the housing, the keypad including a top surface and a bottom surface; a carrier platform including a top side and disposed within the housing; a haptic element coupled to the top side of the carrier platform; a biasing system configured to coupled the carrier platform to the housing and provide a preload force to push the haptic element coupled to the carrier platform against the bottom surface of the depressable keypad; and a limiter element operable to physically limit the range of motion of the keypad in a manner opposite to the preload force pushing the haptic element coupled to the carrier platform against the bottom surface of the depressable keypad. In some embodiments, the biasing system includes a mechanical fastener mechanically coupled to the housing and allowing the carrier platform to move relative to the housing within a range of motion, and a biasing element (e.g., a mechanical spring) compressed when the mechanical fastener is coupled to the housing. The combination of the biasing element and the mechanical fastener can provide a preload force to push the haptic element against the bottom surface of the depressable keypad. The combination of keypad, tactile element and carrier can be pressed together in response to pressure on the top surface of the keypad.

[0009] A biasing element can provide a restoring force that moves the combination of the keypad, haptic element, and carrier from any depressed position within its movable range back to a neutral position in which the top surface of the keypad is continuously profile aligned with the adjacent top surface of the housing. In some embodiments, a limiter element is coupled to the keypad, and wherein the limiter element includes a lip extending laterally beyond an end of the keypad, wherein the lip of the limiter element contacts a portion of the housing and prevents the edge of the top surface of the keypad from significantly deflecting beyond the adjacent top surface of the housing. The limiter element may be coupled to the keypad, may be a rigid mechanical structure coupled to the carrier platform, may be flexible, and may be spring-loaded or include a soft damper, and / or may be a piston-like structure with a spring pin or reverse spring pin configuration. In some cases, the housing includes the top shell of the computer mouse, and the computer mouse may also include a silicone layer covering the top shell of the computer mouse and the top surface of the depressable keypad.

[0010] In some embodiments, a computer mouse includes: a housing; a multi-layered, pressable keypad including a first layer and a second layer; a haptic element; a sub-base plate configured to support the haptic element and directly connect the haptic element to the bottom surface of the first layer of the keypad; and a sensor (e.g., a force sensor, a key detection sensor, etc.). In some cases, when pressed down a threshold distance, the second layer of the multi-layered, pressable keypad contacts the sensor, causing the sensor to detect that the multi-layered, pressable keypad has been pressed down. In some aspects, the multi-layered, pressable keypad is an integral structure, such that the first and second layers move as a single unit relative to the housing when the multi-layered, pressable keypad is pressed down. In some embodiments, haptic energy generated by the haptic element is coupled to the first layer of the multi-layered, pressable keypad, and the downward pressure pushing the multi-layered, pressable keypad is coupled to the sensor via the second layer of the multi-layered, pressable keypad. The first and second layers may be vertically aligned such that the second layer is positioned below the first layer. The first layer of the multi-layered, pressable keypad may be tuned to resonate at the operating frequency of the haptic actuation element. In some embodiments, the haptic element is not directly coupled to the second layer of the keypad, and the haptic energy generated by the haptic element is substantially located in the first layer of the multi-layer pressable keypad. In some embodiments, the first layer is flexible, and the second layer is rigid relative to the first layer. In some embodiments, the sub-base plate is not directly coupled to the multi-layer pressable keypad, nor is it directly coupled to the housing of the computer mouse. The first layer may include a first end, and the second layer includes a second end, wherein the first layer is coupled to the second layer via the first end and the second end.

[0011] In other embodiments, the computer mouse includes a pressable keypad with a bottom side portion, a haptic element coupled to the bottom side portion of the pressable keypad, a flexible subplate configured to support the haptic element and provide a preloaded force to push the haptic element against the bottom surface of the pressable keypad, a sensing element, and a load-transfer element configured between the bottom of the flexible subplate and the top of the sensing element and coupled to them, the load-transfer element being operable to transfer a force load from the keypad and the flexible subplate to the sensing element. The computer mouse may also include: an outer shell having an opening (e.g., an orifice) defining the outer casing of the computer mouse, wherein the pressable keypad is configured within the opening of the outer shell; and an inner bottom plate disposed within the outer shell and configured to coupled to and provide structural support for the combination of the keypad, haptic element, flexible subplate, load-transfer element, and sensor, wherein the pressable keypad is floating and disconnected from the outer shell. In some embodiments, a soft, compliant layer seamlessly covers the keypad and the outer shell. The haptic element can be structurally integrated with a pressable keyplate. The flexible subplate can be tuned to include a static portion and a dynamic portion, wherein the static portion has increased stiffness and the dynamic portion is tuned to the resonant frequency of the haptic element. Some embodiments may also include a limiter element operable to physically limit the range of motion of the keyplate in a manner opposite to the preload force that pushes the haptic element coupled to the flexible subplate against the bottom surface of the pressable keyplate. In some cases, the pressable keyplate is the left or right mouse button on a computer mouse. The flexible subplate can be constructed as a leaf spring. In some cases, the load-transmitting element is made of a soft, compliant material that dampens vibrations. In some embodiments, the soft, compliant material includes foam, polyurethane, rubber, polymer, or TPE. In some cases, the haptic element can be a piezoelectric element.

[0012] In other embodiments, the computer mouse includes: a housing; a depressable keypad including a bottom surface; and a haptic element coupled to the bottom surface of the depressable keypad. The haptic element can be configured to operate in multiple operating modes, including a first mode and a second mode. In the first operating mode, the haptic element can generate a haptic output that statically and unidirectionally deflects the haptic element and the coupled keypad and holds them at a deflection distance. In the second operating mode, the haptic element can generate a second haptic output that bidirectionally deflects the haptic element relative to the deflection distance, thereby generating vibrational feedback superimposed on the unidirectional deflection at the deflection distance. In some aspects, the deflection distance corresponds to a control signal. The haptic element may be a piezoelectric device, and the control signal is a voltage applied to the haptic element. In some implementations, the haptic output in the first operating mode unidirectionally deflects the keypad to the deflection distance within 10 ms, thereby generating a single-pulse feedback effect on the keypad. The vibrational feedback can be controlled independently relative to the deflection distance. In some cases, vibration feedback is controlled by control signals defining positive and negative deflection distances for the vibration feedback. In some embodiments, vibration feedback is controlled by control signals defining the force of the vibration feedback. In some embodiments, vibration feedback is controlled by control signals defining the time for complete deflection of the vibration feedback. In some cases, a second operating mode generates press and hold haptic feedback, characterized in that, in response to receiving a pressing force on the top surface of the keypad, the haptic element unidirectionally deflects and holds at a deflection distance; when the haptic element deflects at the deflection distance while a pressing force is detected on the top surface of the keypad, the haptic element generates vibration feedback; and after the pressing force is removed from the top surface of the keypad, the haptic element returns to the first operating mode. In some cases, the keypad is the left or right master button of a computer mouse.

[0013] In some embodiments, a method of operating a computer mouse includes: controlling a haptic element, by one or more processors, to operate in one of a plurality of operating modes, including a first operating mode and a second operating mode, wherein the haptic element is coupled to the keyboard of the computer mouse; when the haptic element is in the first operating mode, generating a haptic output that causes the haptic element and the coupled keyboard to be statically and unidirectionally deflected and held at a deflection distance; and when the haptic element is in the second operating mode, generating a second haptic output that causes the haptic element to be bidirectionally deflected relative to the deflection distance, thereby generating vibration feedback superimposed on the unidirectional deflection at the deflection distance. In some cases, one or more processors control the haptic element via a control signal that defines the deflection distance of the unidirectional deflection of the haptic element. In some cases, the vibration feedback is controlled by control signals that define positive and negative deflection distances for the vibration feedback. In some aspects, the haptic element is a piezoelectric device, and the control signal is a voltage applied to the haptic element. In some embodiments, the haptic output in the first operating mode unidirectionally deflects the keypad to a deflection distance within 10 ms, thereby generating a single-pulse feedback effect on the keypad. In some cases, the vibration feedback is controlled independently relative to the deflection distance. In some embodiments, one or more processors control the haptic element via a control signal that defines a positive and negative deflection distance for the vibration feedback, a force for the vibration feedback, the time for complete deflection of the vibration feedback, or any combination thereof. In some aspects, in the second operating mode, press and hold haptic feedback is generated, characterized in that, in response to receiving a pressing force on the top surface of the keypad, the haptic element unidirectionally deflects and holds at the deflection distance; when the haptic element deflects at the deflection distance while a pressing force is detected on the top surface of the keypad, the haptic element generates vibration feedback; and after the pressing force is removed from the top surface of the keypad, the haptic element returns to the first operating mode. In some cases, the keypad is the left or right main button of a computer mouse.

[0014] The terms and expressions used are descriptive rather than restrictive, and their use is not intended to exclude any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof. However, it should be recognized that various modifications can be made within the scope of the claimed systems and methods. Therefore, it should be understood that although the systems and methods have been specifically disclosed by way of example and optional features, those skilled in the art will recognize modifications and variations of the concepts disclosed herein, and such modifications and variations are considered to be within the scope of the systems and methods as defined by the appended claims.

[0015] This invention is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used alone to define the scope of the claimed subject matter. The subject matter should be understood by referring to the appropriate portions of the entire specification, any or all of the accompanying drawings, and each claim.

[0016] The foregoing features and examples, as well as other features and examples, will be described in detail in the following specification, claims and drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The patent or application documents contain at least one color drawing. A copy of the patent or patent application publication with the color drawing will be provided by the patent office upon request and payment of the necessary fees.

[0018] The features of the various embodiments of the present invention described above, as well as other features and advantages of certain embodiments, will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0019] FIG. 1 A simplified diagram of a computer system according to certain embodiments is shown;

[0020] FIG. 2 A simplified block diagram of a system for operating an input device according to certain embodiments is shown;

[0021] FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B Examples of how haptic elements can be constructed on an input device according to certain embodiments are shown;

[0022] FIGS. 4-5 Simplified waveforms according to certain embodiments are depicted, showing the tactile element states and corresponding current distributions used to identify the push and release phases;

[0023] FIGS. 6-8 A solid-state computer mouse with multiple tactile elements constructed on a single input element is shown according to some embodiments;

[0024] FIGS. 9-10 The diagram illustrates the physical connection hinge between the keypad and structural elements of a computer mouse (e.g., top shell) according to certain embodiments.

[0025] FIG. 11 An example of a non-hinged key supported by a soft covering is shown;

[0026] FIG. 12 An example of a fully floating keyplate (without hinges) according to certain embodiments is shown;

[0027] FIG. 13AA general prior art system for connecting tactile elements to an input device is shown;

[0028] FIG. 13B This illustrates the problems in certain existing technology systems that use preloaded forces;

[0029] FIGS. 14A-14C A sequence of keys on a system according to some embodiments is shown, the system providing and maintaining a preload force that pushes tactile elements against a keypad and further operates to prevent the keypad from extending beyond a predetermined position;

[0030] FIG. 15 A system is shown that provides preloading at the mechanical interface between the support structure of the tactile element and the keypad area, according to some embodiments;

[0031] FIG. 16 A system comprising a compressible element serving as a biasing mechanism, according to certain embodiments, is shown;

[0032] FIG. 17 A system is shown that provides preloading via a grooved recess in a housing according to certain embodiments, into which a tactile element support structure is inserted;

[0033] FIG. 18 A keyplate system with a leaf spring biasing system according to certain embodiments is shown;

[0034] FIG. 19 and FIG. 20 A system is shown that provides preloading flexibly via a soft top layer of a computer mouse, according to certain embodiments;

[0035] FIG. 20 This describes a deformable layer for encapsulating and sealing a keyplate according to certain embodiments;

[0036] FIGS. 21-22 The use of a washer or screw-type limiter element, configured according to certain embodiments, to prevent the keyplate from moving in one direction beyond a threshold position is illustrated.

[0037] FIG. 23 Another variation of a washer or screw-type limiter element according to certain embodiments is shown, which further incorporates a compressible element;

[0038] FIG. 24 A keypad system having a limiter element connected to the keypad via a clamping mechanism is shown according to some embodiments;

[0039] FIG. 25 A keypad system including a keypad with combined limiter elements is shown according to some embodiments;

[0040] FIGS. 26-28 Various aspects of a stepped limiter element and a carrier platform according to certain embodiments are shown;

[0041] FIGS. 29-30 An example of how a clamping element can be used in a keypad lift prevention system according to certain embodiments is shown;

[0042] FIG. 30 This includes soft elements that, according to certain embodiments, allow for the compliant absorption of tolerances between rigid elements and the required compressive loads in the system;

[0043] FIG. 31A This illustrates how a soft and / or compliant material, according to certain embodiments, connects the adjacent, generally rigid, and vertical sidewalls of the keypad and computer mouse.

[0044] FIG. 31B This illustrates how the top surface of the keypad, according to certain embodiments, is generally planar with the contact portion of the computer mouse housing;

[0045] FIG. 31C Includes a key plate that extends around the end of the device housing and hooks below the protruding edge of the housing, according to some embodiments;

[0046] FIG. 31D A key plate, according to some embodiments, is shown that wraps around from the top plane to the side plane;

[0047] FIG. 32A An implementation of a tactile element in a keyplate with a side-hinged key in the area surrounding the roller opening is shown, according to some embodiments.

[0048] FIG. 32B An implementation scheme of a tactile element in a keypad design covered by a soft, compliant material, according to certain embodiments, is shown;

[0049] FIG. 33 An example of multiple tactile elements mounted on a common carrier support structure according to certain embodiments is shown;

[0050] FIG. 34 A model of an input element with a lateral direct haptic implementation scheme according to certain embodiments is shown;

[0051] FIG. 35 The relationship between the keypad and the computer mouse body during the electro-actuation of the haptic element is shown;

[0052] FIG. 36 The first solution of the model according to certain implementations illustrates the coupled actuation and sensing in a lateral haptic solution;

[0053] FIG. 37 A model illustrating disconnected actuation and sensing in a lateral haptic solution is depicted according to certain embodiments;

[0054] FIG. 38 A model for disconnecting actuation and sensing in a normally constructed tactile solution is shown according to certain embodiments;

[0055] FIG. 39 A model for linking actuation and sensing in a conventionally constructed haptic solution, according to certain embodiments, is shown.

[0056] FIGS. 40-42 An example of a tactile device having a touch surface according to some embodiments is shown, which is locally tuned to respond at a given resonant frequency by incorporating springs in the surrounding and static areas.

[0057] FIGS. 43-46C An example of a keypad designed to intentionally vibrate at a specific frequency, according to certain embodiments, is shown to match the excitation and response of a tactile element;

[0058] FIG. 47 An embedded keypad with haptic elements integrated into the top shell of the mouse is shown;

[0059] FIG. 48A An embedded multi-layer keypad with haptic elements incorporated in the top shell of a mouse is shown according to some embodiments;

[0060] FIGS. 48B-48C A keypad system with integrated tactile elements is shown according to certain embodiments;

[0061] FIGS. 49-51 An example of a tactile device according to some embodiments is shown, wherein the touch area is directly coupled to a tactile element housed by a floating sub-base plate;

[0062] FIGS. 52-54 An example of a tactile device according to certain embodiments is shown, wherein movement in all directions is restricted except for lateral movement that is tangential to the touch surface and aligned with the tactile element;

[0063] FIG. 55 A keyplate system utilizing a suspended membrane is shown according to certain embodiments;

[0064] FIG. 56 Another keyplate system utilizing a suspended membrane is shown according to certain embodiments;

[0065] FIGS. 57-59An example of a dual-layer tactile device according to some embodiments is shown, wherein the outer layer, i.e., the touchable surface, is made of a soft, compliant material;

[0066] FIG. 60 and FIG. 61 An example of the introduction of a compliant actuator between a touch surface and a sensing element, according to certain embodiments, is shown;

[0067] FIGS. 62-65 An example of a compliant actuator that precisely transfers load to a sensor located in the sensing element is shown;

[0068] FIG. 66 It is a graph illustrating compliance introduced by applying loads at different input levels according to certain embodiments;

[0069] FIG. 67 It is a graph showing the composite linearized curve of the applied load versus the contact area on a sensing element according to certain embodiments;

[0070] FIG. 68 An example of a sensing element coupled to a sub-base plate mounted on the top shell of a computer mouse, according to some embodiments, is shown, wherein the load is transferred through the sub-base plate, which also includes a tactile element.

[0071] FIG. 69 An example of a sensing element combined with a dedicated structure attached to the bottom of a mouse, according to some embodiments, is shown, wherein the load is transferred through a base plate that includes both a secondary and an extension of the tactile element.

[0072] FIG. 70 An example of a sensing element, according to some embodiments, is combined with and coupled to the bottom of a computer mouse main printed circuit board, wherein the load is transferred through a base plate that includes both a secondary and an extension of a tactile element.

[0073] FIG. 71 An example of a tactile clicking system according to certain embodiments is shown, wherein a touchable area including a keypad has a sub-base plate that also incorporates tactile elements connected thereto;

[0074] FIG. 72 This is an example of a tactile clicking system, in which the touchable area, i.e. the keypad, has a sub-base plate, and the keypad also incorporates tactile elements connected thereto.

[0075] FIG. 73 An example of a tactile clicking system according to certain embodiments is shown, wherein the touchable area, i.e. the keypad, has a sub-base plate that transfers load to the sensing element while being preloaded onto the sensing element by a mechanical spring element;

[0076] FIG. 74 An example of a tactile clicking system according to certain embodiments is shown, wherein the touchable area, i.e. the keypad, has a sub-base plate that transfers load to the sensing element while being preloaded onto the sensing element by a mechanical spring element;

[0077] FIG. 75 An example of a tactile clicking system according to certain embodiments is shown, wherein the key plate has a separate touch area due to a partially hinged region, while a sub-base plate is connected to its lateral and non-vibrational structure;

[0078] FIG. 76 An example of a tactile clicking system according to certain embodiments is shown, wherein the keypad has a separate full-touch area due to the area of ​​hinge or pivot, while the sub-base plate is connected to its lateral and non-vibrational structure;

[0079] FIG. 77 An example of a tactile clicking system according to certain embodiments is shown, wherein the keypad has a separate full-touch area due to the hinged or pivoted area and the fixedly coupled base plate;

[0080] FIGS. 78-82 Some embodiments are illustrated, wherein a hinge connects the input element of the device to a structural support; and

[0081] FIG. 83 This is a simplified flowchart illustrating various aspects of a method for operating a computer mouse according to certain embodiments.

[0082] It should be noted that throughout the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are generally used to depict the same or similar elements, features, and structures. Detailed Implementation

[0083] According to some embodiments, aspects of this disclosure generally relate to computer peripherals, and more specifically, to input devices, such as a computer mouse.

[0084] In the following description, various examples of systems and methods for improving the user experience of haptic feedback are described. Specific configurations and details are illustrated for illustrative purposes to provide a comprehensive understanding of the implementation. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain implementations can be practiced or implemented without disclosing every detail. Furthermore, well-known features may be omitted or simplified to help prevent any confusion with the novel features described herein.

[0085] The following brief overview is intended to provide a basic understanding of some of the novel innovations depicted in the accompanying drawings and presented in the corresponding description provided below. Aspects of the invention include the implementation of sensing and haptic elements in an input device to receive user input and provide haptic output. This description is generally organized into sections covering innovations in haptic effects and filtering, mechanical design, haptic applications, sensing applications and their design combinations, and other related topics. These sections are partially outlined in this introduction to provide a rough guide to the document layout, rather than providing a comprehensive overview of these sections.

[0086] In haptic-enabled computer peripherals, user input can include force received from the user's fingers, applied to a click architecture that includes haptic devices and sensing devices (e.g., piezoelectric elements), which can, for example, convert the input force into a voltage. The sensed voltage can be used to control various functions on the input device, including generating various control signals (e.g., button pressing, scrolling, and scrolling functions), as discussed further below. The haptic device can also be used to generate haptic output signals, such as vibratory tactile sensations, which can simulate certain physical phenomena, including button pressing and scroll wheel rotation, as well as other performance parameters typically associated with mechanical input elements. That is, haptic output can convincingly reproduce the sensation of physically pressing and actuating a key, rotating a scroll wheel, toggling a switch, or other physical inputs using haptic vibrations. In some aspects, the sensing and actuation of haptic feedback can be performed on the same haptic element or on separate haptic elements. Despite the many advantages that can be gained in haptic-driven computer peripherals, haptics has not yet been successfully and commercially realized as the primary source of user interaction in computer peripherals, including the integration of sensing and feedback within the same system.

[0087] To facilitate the transfer of tactile energy and ensure the transmissibility of excitation (vibration) from the tactile element to the desired input element, the tactile element can be mechanically coupled directly or indirectly (e.g., through various materials). Therefore, some embodiments described herein provide mechanical architectures that ensure a preload force, thereby pressing the tactile element directly against the bottom surface of the input element to ensure a good mechanical connection. While a preload force can ensure a mechanical connection between the tactile element and the input element for efficient transfer of tactile energy between them, it can also cause the input element to rise beyond its default (uncompressed) position and create a step, thereby disrupting the (aesthetic) shape continuity between the housing and the input element in their resting state and impairing ergonomics and aesthetics throughout the industrial design. This can be further exacerbated by certain soft and flexible outer layers of the input device (e.g., silicone, rubber, fabric, etc.). Some aspects of the present invention relate to systems that can provide a preloaded force to facilitate a stable mechanical contact between a tactile element and a corresponding keypad (or other input element), thereby providing a good transfer of tactile energy between the tactile element and the corresponding keypad (or other input element). Some aspects of the present invention also provide a system architecture that prevents the input element from moving beyond a default position (or any desired position that will be understood by those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure) to improve both the ergonomics and aesthetics of the input device, and to prevent deformation of the system over time (e.g., creep in plastics and soft materials). These and more aspects are shown and further described below (e.g., see...). FIGS. 14A-18 ).

[0088] In some implementations, a multi-layered, pressable keypad can be used to isolate tactile energy and efficiently deliver it to the user, while reducing tactile energy delivered to other areas of the computer mouse (see, for example, [link to relevant documentation]). FIG. 48A Some alternative implementations utilize novel flexible base plates (e.g., leaf spring-like structures) that provide preloaded forces to ensure a good mechanical connection between the tactile element and the keypad, as well as good transmission of forces on the keypad to the sensor via load-transfer elements (e.g., key press events), such as in... FIGS. 48B-48C As shown in the figure.

[0089] In other embodiments, haptic elements on a computer mouse can be used to provide static and unidirectional feedback that causes the keypad to deflect and hold by a deflection distance. In some aspects, a second haptic feedback can be superimposed on top of the static deflection to create a complex and rich haptic feedback experience for the user, as at least referred to below. FIGS. 4-5 Further description.

[0090] It should be understood that this highly detailed overview is presented to provide the reader with a basic understanding of some of the novel aspects of this disclosure, as well as a roadmap for the details described below. This highly detailed overview is in no way limited to the scope of the various embodiments described throughout the detailed description, and each of the above-mentioned figures is further described below in more detail and to the extent appropriate.

[0091] FIG. 1 A simplified diagram of a computer system 100 according to some embodiments is shown. The computer system 100 may include a computer 110, a monitor 120, an input device 130, and a keyboard 140. In some embodiments, the input device 130 may be a computer mouse, a remote control device, a game controller (e.g., a gamepad, joystick, flight stick, etc.) or elements thereof (e.g., a top-cap switch), a smartphone, or other suitable means for converting analog input into digital signals for computer processing. For the computer system 100, the input device 130 may be configured to control various aspects of the computer 110 and the monitor 120. Throughout this disclosure, the input device 130 is referred to as a computer mouse, and any inventive concept considered herein can be applied to the computer mouse 130 or any suitable input device, as will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art who benefits from this disclosure.

[0092] Computer 110 can be any suitable computing device, including but not limited to desktop computers, laptop computers, tablet or “tablet phone” computers, smartphones, PDAs, wearable devices (e.g., smartwatches, smart glasses), virtual reality / augmented reality (AR / VR) systems, etc. In some embodiments, input device 130 may be configured to provide control signals for motion tracking (e.g., two-dimensional (2D) motion on a planar surface, three-dimensional (3D) “aerial” motion, etc.), touch and / or gesture detection, lift detection, orientation detection (e.g., in 3-DOF systems, 6DOF systems, etc.), power management capabilities, input detection (e.g., buttons, scroll wheels, etc.), output functions (e.g., LED control, haptic feedback, etc.), or any of the numerous additional features that a person skilled in the art will understand. Computer 110 may include a machine-readable medium (not shown) configured to store computer code, such as mouse driver software, wherein the computer code can be processed by a processor of computer 110 (e.g., see [link to relevant documentation]). FIG. 2The processor 210 executes the commands to control various aspects of the computer 110 via the input device 130, keyboard 140, etc. The various embodiments described herein generally refer to the input device 130 as a computer mouse or similar input device; however, it should be understood that the input device 130 can be any suitable input / output (I / O) device (e.g., user interface device, control device, input unit, etc.) that can be adapted to utilize the novel embodiments described and / or contemplated herein. More specifically, the following embodiments tend to focus on the combination of haptic devices on a computer mouse; however, it should be understood that the concepts described, taught, and suggested herein can be applied to other types of input devices, including the non-exhaustive list above of input devices, including game pads, trackballs, presenters, keyboards, AR / VR controllers, etc., as will be understood by those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure. Furthermore, the invention described herein is shown on a relatively flat surface, but the invention can be applied to uneven surfaces, simple or complex contours, shapes, etc.

[0093] FIG. 2 A simplified block diagram of a system 200 for operating an input device 130 according to certain embodiments is shown. System 200 may include a processor 210, an input detection block 220, a motion tracking block 230, a power management block 240, and a communication block 250. Each of system blocks 220 to 250 may be in electrical communication with the processor 210. System 200 may also include additional systems, not shown or not described, to avoid obscuring the novel features described herein.

[0094] In some implementations, processor 210 may include one or more microprocessors (μCs) and may be configured to control the operation of system 200. Alternatively or additionally, processor 210 may include one or more microcontrollers (MCUs), digital signal processors (DSPs), etc., having supporting hardware, firmware (e.g., memory, programmable I / O, etc.) and / or software, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. Alternatively, MCUs, μCs, DSPs, ASICs, programmable logic devices, etc., may be configured in other system blocks of system 200. For example, communication block 250 may include a local processor to control communication with computer 110 (e.g., via Bluetooth, Bluetooth LE, RF, IR, hardwired, ZigBee, Z-Wave, Logitech). Logitech (or other communication protocols). In some embodiments, multiple processors can achieve the increased performance characteristics (e.g., speed and bandwidth) in system 200; however, multiple processors are not required, nor are they necessarily closely related to the novelty of the embodiments described herein. Alternatively or additionally, certain aspects of the processing can be performed by analog electronic design, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0095] Input detection block 220 can control the detection of button activation (e.g., main button, side button, scroll wheel button, etc.), scroll wheel and / or trackball manipulation (e.g., rotation detection), sliders, switches, touch sensors (e.g., one-dimensional and / or two-dimensional touchpads), etc. In some embodiments, input detection block 220 can detect when a keypad (e.g., the left mouse button) is pressed with sufficient force (e.g., threshold force) to contact the keypad and activate a force sensor. The force sensor can generate a corresponding control signal (e.g., a human interface device (HID) signal) to control a computing device (e.g., computer 110) communicatively connected to the input device (e.g., instantiating a "left click" on the computer). Alternatively, the functionality of input detection block 220 can be incorporated into or combined with processor 210.

[0096] In some aspects, the input detection block 220 can control the operation of haptic devices implemented on the input device. For example, input signals generated by the haptic devices can be received and processed by the input detection block 220. For example, the input signal can be an input voltage, charge, or current generated by a piezoelectric device in response to a force received on its surface (e.g., user interaction). In some embodiments, the input detection block 220 can control the output of one or more haptic devices on the input device 130. For example, certain parameters defining the characteristics of the haptic feedback can be controlled by the input detection block 220. Some input and output parameters may include a press threshold, a release threshold, feedback sharpness, feedback force amplitude, feedback duration, feedback frequency content (e.g., sine or other), overvoltage (e.g., using different voltage levels at different stages), and feedback modulation over time. These characteristics will be further described below. Alternatively, haptic input / output control can be performed by or in combination with the processor 210.

[0097] In some embodiments, the input detection block 220 can detect user press or touch gestures on one or more input surfaces, touch surfaces, and / or force-sensitive surfaces on the input device 130. The input detection block 220 may include one or more input surfaces, touch surfaces / force-sensitive surfaces, or touch sensors / force sensors. Touch sensors typically include sensing elements suitable for detecting signals such as direct contact, electromagnetic or electrostatic fields, or beams of electromagnetic radiation. Touch sensors can typically detect changes in received signals, the presence of a signal, or the absence of a signal. Touch sensors may include a source for emitting the detected signal, or the signal may be generated by an auxiliary source. Touch sensors may be configured to detect the presence of an object at a distance (e.g., <5 mm) from a reference area or point, contact with a reference area or point, or a combination thereof. Touch and / or force detection and sensors can be used to put the system into a "ready" mode, thereby reducing latency when the user begins to move or input into the system. Some embodiments of the input device 130 may or may not utilize touch / force detection or touch / force sensing capabilities.

[0098] Input detection block 220 may include touch, force, and / or proximity sensing capabilities. Some examples of touch / force / proximity sensor types may include, but are not limited to, resistive sensors (e.g., carbon-loaded plastics with different electrical properties based on force (FSR), interpolated FSR, etc.), piezoelectric elements and MEMS, capacitive sensors (e.g., surface capacitance, self-capacitance, mutual capacitance, etc.), optical sensors (e.g., infrared grating matrices, laser-based diodes coupled to photodetectors that can measure the time of flight of the optical path, etc.), load cells, strain gauges, acoustic sensors (e.g., piezoelectric buzzers coupled to microphones to detect changes in wave propagation modes associated with touch points, ultrasonic sensors, etc.), etc.

[0099] Motion tracking block 230 can be configured to track the movement of input device 130. Motion tracking block 230 can use optical sensors such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and an imaging array of photodiodes to detect the movement of input device 130 relative to an underlying surface. Input device 130 may optionally include motion tracking hardware utilizing coherent (laser) light. In some embodiments, the optical sensor is disposed on the bottom side of input device 130. Motion tracking block 230 can provide position data (e.g., XY coordinate data) or lift detection data. For example, the optical sensor can detect when the user lifts input device 130 off the working surface and can send this data to processor 210 for further processing. In some embodiments, processor 210, motion tracking block 230 (which may include an additional dedicated processor), or a combination thereof, can perform some or all of the novel functions described herein, including: modifying the number of image sensor pixels for different operating modes (e.g., a first operating mode and a second operating mode), changing the image sensor frame rate for different operating modes, and changing the number of memory slots for different operating modes, as further described below.

[0100] In some implementations, accelerometers can be used for motion detection. Accelerometers can be electromechanical devices (e.g., microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices) configured to measure accelerating forces (e.g., static and dynamic forces). One or more accelerometers can be used to detect three-dimensional (3D) positioning. For example, 3D tracking can utilize a triaxial accelerometer or two biaxial accelerometers (e.g., in a "3D air mouse"). Accelerometers can also determine whether the input device 130 has been lifted off a surface and provide motion data that may include the velocity, physical orientation, and acceleration of the input device 130. In some implementations, gyroscopes can be used instead of or in combination with accelerometers to determine motion or input device orientation.

[0101] Power management block 240 can be configured to manage power distribution, recharging, power efficiency, etc., of input device 130. In some embodiments, power management block 240 may include a battery (not shown), a USB-based recharging system for the battery (not shown), a power management device (e.g., a low-dropout voltage regulator—not shown), and a power grid within system 200 that supplies power to each subsystem (e.g., communication block 250, etc.). In some embodiments, the functionality provided by power management block 240 may be incorporated into processor 210. Alternatively, some embodiments may not include a dedicated power management block. For example, functional aspects of power management block 240 may be incorporated into another block (e.g., processor 210) or combined with another block (e.g., processor 210).

[0102] According to some implementations, communication block 250 may be configured to enable communication between input device 130 and computer 110 or other devices and / or peripherals. Communication block 250 may be configured to provide wireless connectivity (e.g., radio frequency (RF), Bluetooth, BLE, infrared (IR), ZigBee, Z-Wave, Logitech Unifying, etc.) to computer 110 or other wireless devices. System 200 may include a hardwired connection to computer 110 (e.g., USB, FireWire, etc.). For example, input device 130 may be configured to receive a Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable to enable bidirectional electronic communication with computer 110 or other external devices. Some implementations may utilize different types of cables or connection protocol standards to establish hardwired communication with other entities. In some implementations, processor 210, communication block 250, or combinations thereof may perform some of the novel functions described herein.

[0103] Although certain systems are not explicitly discussed, they should be considered as part of system 200, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. For example, system 200 may include a bus system for transmitting power and / or data to and from different systems therein. In some embodiments, system 200 may include a storage subsystem (not shown). The storage subsystem may store one or more software programs to be executed by a processor (e.g., in processor 210). It should be understood that “software” can refer to a sequence of instructions that, when executed by a processing unit (e.g., processor, processing device, etc.), cause system 200 to perform certain operations of the software program. Instructions may be stored as firmware residing in read-only memory (ROM) and / or as an application program stored in media memory that can be read into memory for processing by the processing device. Software may be implemented as a single program or a collection of single programs and may be stored in non-volatile memory and copied, wholly or partially, to volatile working memory during program execution. The processing device may retrieve program instructions from the storage subsystem to perform various operations as described herein (e.g., software-controlled automatic adjustment of springs, etc.).

[0104] It should be recognized that System 200 is intended to be illustrative, and many variations and modifications are possible, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. System 200 may include other functions or capabilities not specifically described herein (e.g., mobile phone, Global Positioning System (GPS), power management, one or more cameras, various connection ports for connecting external devices or accessories, etc.). While System 200 is described with reference to specific blocks (e.g., input detection block 220), it should be understood that these blocks are defined for understanding certain embodiments of the invention and are not intended to imply that embodiments are limited to a particular physical arrangement of component portions. The individual blocks do not need to correspond to physically different components. Blocks may be configured to perform various operations, for example, by programming a processor or providing appropriate processing, and the various blocks may or may not be reconfigurable, depending on how the initial configuration is obtained. Certain embodiments may be implemented in a variety of devices, including electronic devices implemented using any combination of circuitry and software. Furthermore, as notified by design, aspects and / or portions of System 200 may be combined with or operated by other subsystems. For example, the power management block 240 and / or the motion tracking block 230 can be integrated with the processor 210 instead of being used as separate entities.

[0105] In some implementations, a haptic device can be implemented on the input device to operate as both an input user interface and an output user interface. For example, a haptic element (e.g., a piezoelectric element, a piezoresistive element, etc.) can generate a charge, voltage, or current proportional to the amount of physical stress on the piezoelectric crystal (e.g., user pressure on the surface of the haptic element). The generated voltage (input signal) can be proportional to the input force, and the input signal can be used to detect button presses (e.g., left / right mouse button clicks) when a threshold voltage is reached. In response to a detected button press, the same (or different) haptic elements can be controlled by elements of system 200 to generate output vibrations in response to the input signal. The haptic element can be a single-layer or multi-layer piezoelectric element, a voice coil, a linear resonant actuator (LRA), or any other vibration / shock system. The sensing portion of the haptic element can be a piezoelectric element, any type of force sensor (MEMS, strain gauge, capacitive, resistive FSR, or any other). In some embodiments, even if the underlying surface vibrates but does not actually deflect, move, press down, or actually move substantially relative to the housing itself—perceived only by the vibrational characteristics of the tactile output (although in some embodiments the input surface may deflect slightly (e.g., about 50 μm due to the compliant properties of the material, but much smaller than the typical deflection of an actuating physical switch (e.g., a computer mouse button, typically on the order of 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm, and up to 3 mm in keyboard devices))), the output vibration can be tuned in a manner that can be perceived by the user as a physical press of a mechanical key, an intentionally induced cognitive tactile illusion. The values ​​and ranges described above and throughout the disclosure are used as examples for reference points and are by no means limiting of the description herein. Various embodiments are illustrated, and these embodiments may have values ​​and ranges beyond those examples, as will be understood by those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure. The term "housing" can refer to an enclosure for housing various electronic components of an input device, and also serves as a user interface and includes various input elements, including buttons, scroll wheels, touch sensors, etc., as mentioned above. Other input elements (e.g., scroll wheels) can be simulated in a similar manner. These tactile alternatives to conventional input elements can be advantageous because expensive mechanical keypads, springs, rollers, support infrastructure, etc., can be replaced by cheaper and more reliable tactile elements that typically do not suffer from similar fatigue or wear. Furthermore, tactile elements can have very small form factors, allowing for more compact and space-efficient designs.

[0106] Some embodiments described in this disclosure utilize haptic elements to generate haptic feedback and further modify aspects of the haptic output to address various problems of haptic-enabled devices. Some embodiments may implement mechanical solutions to address various problems, including different implementations for supporting the haptic element (e.g., a piezoelectric element) to achieve good performance, robust support, and aesthetic considerations. In some embodiments, firmware, software, and mechanical implementations may be used in any suitable combination to address one or more problems, as will be understood by those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure.

[0107] FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B Examples of how haptic elements can be constructed on an input device according to certain embodiments are shown. The input device 300 (e.g., a computer mouse) is shown having a housing 310 (e.g., the "shell," "base," or "body" of the computer mouse), a left button 320 and a right button 330, a scroll wheel 340, and any other suitable input element (e.g., an additional button, side scroll wheel, touch sensor, etc.) or output element (e.g., a light-emitting diode (LED), a display, a haptic feedback element, a speaker, etc.), as typically constructed on most computer mice. Each of the left button 320 and the right button 330 includes haptic elements 322, 332 constructed below. Alternative implementations may consider a single haptic element sharing feedback to the primary touch surface. Prior or additional haptic elements may also be embedded in the system to provide secondary and tertiary haptic information not directly related to the primary click. The tactile elements 322 and 332 can be controlled, for example, by one or more processors 210 of system 200, and can be configured to vibrate and create a tactile output that can be perceived by a user as a button press, a "bump," or any other tactile sensation based on the type of vibration created by the tactile elements. Input device 300 can be connected to... FIG. 1 The input device 130, or any other input device described herein, corresponds to this. In some embodiments, a tactile element may also be used as an input sensor. In some cases, a combination of a tactile element and a force sensor can be used for improved input detection, as further described below.

[0108] FIG. 3BVarious aspects of the bottom portion of an input device 300 according to certain embodiments are shown. The bottom of the input device 300 may include one or more feet, an image sensor 380 (e.g., a CMOS sensor using IR LEDs), and a power switch 385. Additional input elements (e.g., buttons, sliders, etc.) may be included. In some cases, the power switch 385 may be located elsewhere on the mouse or may not be included at all (e.g., the input device 300 may be powered on / off based on use). Many variations, modifications, and alternative embodiments of this disclosure will be understood by those skilled in the art who benefit from it.

[0109] In some embodiments, the image sensor 380 is typically located near the center of the bottom portion of the input device 300, as shown. According to some embodiments, the image sensor 380 may be a single sensor and may operate in one or more operating modes (e.g., surface tracking, changing operating parameters to adapt to a specific surface type and corresponding surface classification, as further described below), lift and / or tilt detection, etc. The image sensor may be a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) sensor that captures images of the underlying surface and sends each image to a processor (e.g., processor 210, on-board processing on the sensor, etc., to perform image correlation and displacement calculations, etc.) for analysis. Other types of image sensors may be used, including charge-coupled devices (CCDs), N-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS), hybrid devices (e.g., CCD / CMOS), etc., as will be understood by those skilled in the art. The processor may detect patterns in the images and see how these patterns have moved since previous images, and the processor may determine, based on changes in the patterns over the image sequence, how far and in what direction the corresponding computer peripherals have moved, and which can be sent to the host computer to control one or more functions (e.g., controlling the cursor on the display, controlling the volume in a music application, etc.). This process can occur hundreds or even thousands of times per second to accurately detect all types of motion, including a range of motion speeds and accelerations.

[0110] In some implementations of computer peripherals involving haptic elements, and in accordance with maintaining a good UX, vibration-based feedback is designed to be easily identifiable as feedback of its conventional electromechanical type, such as a mouse click provided by a microswitch. In such cases, the haptic element can be excited to force a change in its state, rather than vibrating with pulses or combinations of pulses. This change in state, which can be perceived by the user as a sudden unidirectional change in force under the finger, ultimately accompanied by a small displacement of the surrounding structure, causes the haptic element to be configured differently, entering stable or smooth states corresponding to press or release interactions. The transitions between these states allow the user to perceive the actuated element as being in a state equivalent to a conventional electromechanical actuator, and to assume familiarity with conventional user input. However, for these configurable smooth states, more generalized haptic pulses can be superimposed, thus enriching the available haptic information and conveying it to the user, and even for the purpose of creating vibratory haptic cues, such as displacement illusions.

[0111] FIGS. 4-5 A simplified waveform, according to some embodiments, is depicted, illustrating the tactile element state 400 for identifying the push and release phases. FIG. 4 ) and the corresponding current distribution 500 ( FIG. 5 Instead of applying haptic feedback with sudden oscillations (e.g., rapid positive and negative deflections of a piezoelectric element to generate vibration), as is typical in haptic feedback systems, some aspects of the invention can apply a unidirectional force change or a relatively static physical deflection of the haptic generator in one direction—typically toward the user's finger or thumb—to allow the user to perceive the magnitude of a physical impact. The amplitude of the deflection and the perceived impact can vary and can correspond to the voltage applied to the haptic generator (e.g., piezoelectric). In summary, instead of using a haptic generator to vibrate, some embodiments deflect and hold the haptic element in one direction, thereby causing the electromechanical switch to step linearly from a first state (e.g., flat piezoelectric) to a second state (e.g., deflected piezoelectric), which can be performed at any suitable rate (e.g., milliseconds). In some embodiments, multiple states are possible, wherein three or more states can be used for mechanical effects, such as at three or more distances (in response to different voltage amplitudes on the haptic element) and for deflection in a positive or negative direction. In some implementations, vibrations can be superimposed on a statically deflected tactile element to induce the sensation of pressing a button and result in one of the states described earlier.

[0112] In some embodiments utilizing tactile elements, those tactile elements capable of achieving such state configurations (e.g., piezoelectric) can be driven by an electric current, where the direction of the current and the absence of such excitation can result in any possible static state. Other embodiments of tactile elements (e.g., magnetic hammers) can use permanent magnets or magnetic devices, where an external field is excited by an electric current, resulting in a sudden movement of the magnet's position. Such magnet arrangements can be radial, axial, polarized, or any other possible arrangement, as will be understood by those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure. Other embodiments may see the use of reversible magnets that are temporarily and instantaneously excited by current pulses (e.g., via EPM) to reverse their polarization. This will cause a change of state by rearranging the elements in the presence of a permanent magnet or magnetic material. The permanent magnet or magnetic material benefits from a passive state, where the current is used only to reverse the magnetic polarization.

[0113] Haptic elements used to generate primary interactive feedback, such as mouse clicks, can also be used to generate secondary and tertiary haptic information. Even if the feedback is not directly related to the primary interaction, the information can be conveyed to the user through available haptic technologies. Examples of such prompts can include: (1) enhanced click feedback, such as multi-level presses (e.g., hard clicks); (2) secondary haptic prompts: long press, menu pop-up, menu selection, selection and dragging, layout / positioning for drop-downs, row and column changes (spreadsheets), section changes when scrolling long documents, etc.; (3) tertiary haptic prompts and other feedback not directly prompted by the user, such as status changes, device power-on, low battery, and application / task-based notifications: such as calendar events, emails, schedules, time-based events, etc.; and (4) stereo haptics, in which two keypads of the input device are used in conjunction to provide directional prompts to the user. Multiple haptic elements can be used synchronously or asynchronously with phased waveforms, alternating excitation between elements, or independently generated different waveforms. Therefore, multi-touch can enable the introduction of further richer haptic information to the corresponding input device.

[0114] FIG. 83 A simplified flowchart illustrating aspects of a method 8300 for operating a computer mouse according to certain embodiments is provided. Method 8300 can be executed by processing logic, which may include hardware (circuit, special-purpose logic, etc.), software operating on suitable hardware (such as a general-purpose computing system or a special-purpose machine), firmware (embedded software), or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, method 8300 can be executed by aspects of system 200 (e.g., processor 210, input detection 220, combinations thereof, etc.).

[0115] According to some embodiments, at operation 8310, method 8300 may include controlling a haptic element to operate in one of a plurality of operating modes, including a first operating mode and a second operating mode, via one or more processors, wherein the haptic element is coupled to the keypad of a computer mouse.

[0116] According to some embodiments, at operation 8320, method 8300 may include generating a tactile output when the tactile element is in a first operating mode, the tactile output causing the tactile element and the associated keypad to be statically and unidirectionally deflected and held at a deflection distance.

[0117] According to some embodiments, at operation 8330, method 8300 may include generating a second tactile output when the tactile element is in a second operating mode, the second tactile output causing the tactile element to deflect bidirectionally relative to a deflection distance, thereby generating vibrational feedback superimposed on the unidirectional deflection at the deflection distance.

[0118] In some aspects, one or more processors control the haptic element via a control signal that defines a deflection distance for unidirectional deflection of the haptic element. In some embodiments, vibration feedback is controlled by a control signal that defines positive and negative deflection distances for vibration feedback. In some embodiments, the haptic element is a piezoelectric device, and the control signal is a voltage applied to the haptic element. In some embodiments, the haptic output in a first operating mode unidirectionally deflects the keypad to a deflection distance within 10 ms, thereby generating a single-pulse feedback effect on the keypad. Vibration feedback can be controlled independently relative to the deflection distance. In some cases, one or more processors control the haptic element via a control signal that defines positive and negative deflection distances for vibration feedback, the force of vibration feedback, or the time for complete deflection of vibration feedback, or any combination thereof.

[0119] In some embodiments, tactile feedback for pressing and holding can be generated in a second operating mode. The tactile element is characterized by being unidirectionally deflected and held at a deflection distance in response to pressing pressure on the top surface of the receiving keypad. As the tactile element deflects by the deflection distance, it generates vibration feedback while simultaneously detecting pressure on the top surface of the keypad. The tactile element returns to a first operating mode after the pressing pressure is removed from the top surface of the keypad. In some cases, the keypad is the left or right master button of a computer mouse.

[0120] It should be understood that, FIG. 83The specific steps illustrated herein provide a particular method 8300 for operating a computer mouse according to certain embodiments. Other sequences of steps may also be performed according to alternative embodiments. Furthermore, additional steps may be added or removed depending on the specific application. Any combination of changes may be used, and many variations, modifications, and alternative embodiments will be understood by those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure.

[0121] Actuation and loading features of a specific shape between the keypad and the haptic module can facilitate more accurate transmission of finger pressure loads to the piezoelectric element. These features allow modification of the piezoelectric vibration response by altering the contact area and other mechanical properties, such as structural stiffness under load. These features can also function as mechanical locking elements between the rigid structure and the soft layer of a device (e.g., a computer mouse). In this case, features are added to the keypad beneath the structure via mechanical fitting, such as clamping, gripping, press-fitting, fastening, or a combination thereof. Through the resulting interference and clamping effects, the features lock and hold the soft layer against the rigid keypad, preventing it from disengaging from the keypad (e.g., delamination or peeling under finger pressure).

[0122] By modulating click sounds driven by external and active haptic elements, active noise cancellation (e.g., sound filtering systems) can be made possible using haptic feedback devices. Aspects of the invention may include customized additional layers for audible feedback (e.g., silent clicks, enhanced click sounds, etc.). This involves modulating and attenuating or enhancing audible click sound emissions and other feedback sound emissions, including those emitted from haptic elements, using, for example, an active speaker embedded in the device itself or any other speaker device available to the user. The system may include a microphone to measure audible sounds in real time or to use a predetermined sound waveform known to match the waveform of the system architecture or pre-recorded sounds as input to the filtering system. The system may utilize conventional, AI, or hybrid methods to filter and cancel emitted sounds by modulating and phase-shifting the output sound waveform.

[0123] By integrating a noise cancellation device (e.g., a speaker) that outputs the same excitation (e.g., frequency and modulation) that is out of phase with the haptic piezoelectric device, audible feedback becomes possible. This allows for controllable quantities to cancel level and frequency modulation. Active noise cancellation systems can employ either of two architectures. The first architecture uses the haptic element itself to cancel specific structural noise emitted from the mouse / haptic module. In this case, the haptic element resonates at its dominant frequency carrying the anti-noise signal. The goal is typically not to eliminate the noise from the haptic element, but rather to eliminate the resonance of the input device (e.g., computer mouse) itself. The haptic module typically has a resonant peak at frequencies generally above the level detectable by the user's ear or the level perceptible to human touch (e.g., <400Hz). The second architecture uses an onboard speaker to emit out-of-phase noise to cancel and / or modulate mouse clicks and any unwanted noise emissions. Additionally, a microphone can be embedded in the system to measure and monitor noise emissions, enabling adaptive and context-based noise cancellation, thereby creating a noise cancellation system integrated with the mouse and the corresponding haptic module.

[0124] Some implementations of the various input devices (e.g., computer mice) described herein employ haptic elements that can provide haptic feedback to the user in a variety of ways to mitigate certain detrimental conditions that may be associated with haptic element implementation (e.g., shock filtering, maintaining haptic threshold relationships, etc.) and improve the user experience. In some cases, conventional switches (e.g., microswitches) can be replaced by solid-state implementations (e.g., haptic elements), which can improve the lifespan and reliability of the input device with fewer moving parts and a more robust haptic-based design.

[0125] To provide haptic feedback to the user, the vibration (haptic energy) of a haptic element needs to be transmitted to the input element that the user is interacting with, so that the user experiences the vibration. In many of the embodiments described herein, the input element is a mouse button (e.g., the left mouse button); however, as those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure will understand, haptic energy can be transmitted to any suitable element, area, or portion of the input device using the novel embodiments described herein. To facilitate the transmission of haptic energy (vibration) from the haptic element to the desired input element and vice versa, the haptic element can be mechanically coupled directly or indirectly (e.g., via various materials). Therefore, some embodiments described herein provide a preload force that pushes the haptic element directly against the bottom surface of the input element or uses an interlocking material (e.g., an adhesive) to ensure a good mechanical connection. Generally, increasing the preload force and surface area of ​​the mechanical connection will result in better energy transfer efficiency. It should be noted that mechanical connections also facilitate the transfer of energy in the other direction, so that the movement of input elements (e.g., keypads) can be correctly sensed by tactile elements.

[0126] In some respects, the range of preload can be from the minimum compression state (close to but above 0 N) to ensure contact to one-tenth of a Newton to improve (e.g., maximize) the mechanical connection, where the improvement (e.g., optimal) value depends on the system design and architecture, as will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art who benefits from this disclosure.

[0127] In many input devices, and particularly in computer mice, ergonomics and aesthetics can be an important part of industrial design. In some cases, input elements (e.g., keypads) can be designed to align generally with the plane of the housing to form a continuous profile when the keypad is stationary (e.g., unpressed, default position). When the input element is pressed, the keypad can deflect downwards but can return to the default position to maintain continuity between the housing and the keypad. As mentioned above, while preload force can ensure a good mechanical connection between the haptic element and the input element to effectively transfer haptic energy between them, preload force can cause the input element to rise above its default position and create a step, thereby disrupting the continuity between the housing and the input element in its stationary state, compromising ergonomics and aesthetics throughout the industrial design, and introducing creep into the system, leading to long-term deformation of the keypad and corresponding system components. Some implementations can further employ soft, flexible overlays, such as silicone layers, to improve various aspects of the user experience. For example, some haptic elements can be attached to keypads with very small gaps or dividing lines between the keypad and the housing to allow for small keypad movements (e.g., 50 μm), and soft layers (e.g., silicone rubber or any other suitable material) can help hide these small gaps, making the entire input device appear as a single, integrated unit and achieving a seamless design. However, soft layers can actually worsen the aesthetics of the input device by exaggerating any discontinuities in its contours, such as discontinuous steps between the keypad and the housing, thus further exacerbating the problem. In such cases, the intended design features can be embedded in the shape of the device, such as recesses or bumps, thus masking minor deformations caused by internal preload, material aging (e.g., material creep), and normal user interaction. Such features also benefit providing the user with visual-haptic cues for input positioning while maintaining a seamless overall design language.

[0128] Various aspects of the present invention relate to a system that can provide a preloaded force to facilitate a secure mechanical contact between a tactile element and a corresponding keypad (or other input element) for providing a good transfer of tactile energy between them, while providing a system architecture that prevents the input element from moving beyond a default position (or any desired position, as will be understood by those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure), thereby improving both the ergonomics and aesthetics of the input device.

[0129] In some embodiments, the parts of a computer mouse include an entire top shell, bottom shell, etc., which can be manufactured as a single material or a combination of materials (e.g., soft rubber, silicone, TPE, ABS, ceramic, plastic, metal), and can be covered or interlocked (e.g., smart structures) to benefit from a combination of their mechanical or material properties. In some aspects, materials can be configured for localized functions (e.g., user input areas) or across the entire computer mouse to improve (e.g., optimize) material and mechanical properties based on functionality and desired user experience.

[0130] In some implementations, relative motion at the microscopic level (e.g., <100 μm) with a soft-to-the-touch feel can be achieved using a tactile surface where the material, surface texture, thickness, and hardness can be considered design factors. In some cases, soft materials, such as elastomers, foams, and smart structures, can have lower hardness and increased thickness; rigid materials can have microscopic relative motion through the localized design stiffness of rigid components with spring-like behavior, and smart structures can have perceptible flexible behavior; and hybrid compliant surfaces can include combinations of the soft and rigid materials mentioned above, and may also include combinations with the internal architecture of a computer mouse. When using such a system, for a load within the click input range, the user's finger compression can be in the range of 1-3 mm (e.g., in the softest part of the finger). Therefore, even when pressing a hard or slightly compliant surface, there may be relatively "large" motion at the finger due to finger compression. The combination of materials as described above can allow for tactile feedback to create the sensory illusion of motion via tactile stimulation (e.g., tactile vibration) and specific cues provided to the user's somatosensory system. For example, active haptics can help perceive stiffness and keypad movement, where progressive input (e.g., greater downward pressure applied by the user through their fingers) can lead to increased stimulation of vibrations and create sensory illusions of keypad movement.

[0131] In some implementations, TPE can develop stress marks over time. Silicone can be used as the top layer because it does not develop stress marks over time and can further improve the UX (e.g., a soft, comfortable material). Furthermore, silicone can be molded in a thinner thickness compared to TPE, which helps transfer energy from the haptic motor to the user. In some cases, the top shell can be made of a rigid material (e.g., ABS) to provide structural support for the UX and bond with rubber. In some implementations, the carrier platform can provide mechanical support for the keypad. The top layer, such as silicone, can be integrated into the entire exterior of the input device or a portion thereof (e.g., above the top shell) to achieve good tactile and visual properties, but is not necessarily used to provide support for various components (e.g., a floating keypad), as described below.

[0132] In some implementations, the use of haptic elements and solid-state architecture allows for the possibility of seamless and / or gapless designs, where there are no necessary gaps between any external features of the computer mouse, including gaps between buttons and the housing, and any other features that typically require gaps to ensure the independent and proper operation of said external features in a conventional computer mouse. Seamless designs can be used to achieve fully enclosed mouse housings (e.g., top / bottom shells), waterproof and / or water-resistant implementations that can prevent contamination of the computer mouse's interior (e.g., IP68), and to keep external / touchable surfaces clean and hygienic. In some cases, seamless designs allow for a reduction in the number of parts required for a functional mouse housing, potentially simplifying tooling and manufacturing processes while reducing waste and improving repairability and robustness.

[0133] For clickable areas (e.g., areas connected to haptic elements and configured to transmit haptic vibrations connected thereto), various haptic cues can be integrated, including bumps, recesses, ridges, indentations, and raised / lowered areas for user guidance and haptic enhancement, while still retaining both the aforementioned solid and seamless design features. Furthermore, including these features can improve the shape and ergonomics of the computer mouse, enhance aesthetics, improve product finish, and improve the quality of the user experience.

[0134] In some implementations, the clickable areas (e.g., left / right click areas) on a solid-state seamless computer mouse can have any of the following design features: a continuous and monolithic surface area (e.g., no gaps between the clickable area and the surrounding housing), raised or visually / tactilely perceptible features to help the user locate the clickable / interactive area, continuous (single or inconspicuous) or distinct left / right keypads, different textures for identifying the clickable area, etc. In some cases, the keypad can have seamless hinges in specific locations (e.g., a thinner area of ​​the top shell to facilitate micrometer-level movement). Floating islands are possible and can allow the keypad to move up and down and allow feedback via haptic elements to be coupled to the user through the keypad.

[0135] In some implementations, the keypad can be designed specifically for use with input devices incorporating tactile elements, and the keypad can have a seamless and / or solid-state design, as described above. FIGS. 6-8 Various implementations of a computer mouse or a portion thereof incorporating haptic elements in a solid-state implementation are shown.

[0136] FIGS. 6-8A solid-state computer mouse with multiple haptic elements constructed on a single input element is illustrated according to certain embodiments. More specifically, two haptic elements are constructed linearly on each left / right button area of ​​the computer mouse. Larger or smaller haptic elements, more or fewer haptic elements, and haptic elements can be arranged in any suitable configuration (e.g., the positions of the haptic elements can follow and / or conform to any contour of the housing), as will be understood by those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure. FIGS. 6-8 The tactile elements shown and described throughout this document can be controlled by aspects of system 200 (e.g., processor 210), a host system communicating with a computer mouse, or a combination thereof. FIGS. 6-8 It can be operated as a solid-state computer mouse, so that the left / right button can be seamless and mechanically integrated with the housing, so that the haptic element can be activated by the user's pressing pressure and output haptic vibration in response to the user's pressing pressure. The haptic vibration can be transmitted from the haptic element to the user's finger through the housing, and no part of the button or housing is mechanically pressed except for material bending (e.g., <100μm), as described above.

[0137] In the absence of a separate keypad, the area of ​​a housing with a one-piece keypad that enables the force-sensitive input element when pressed can be referred to as a "clickable area." The clickable area may be fully integrated with the housing, or in some cases, it may be engaged or hinged to allow for some movement of the keypad, thereby enhancing the user experience (UX). For example, some embodiments of a one-piece keypad may include a solid keypad, a hinged keypad, a peripherally hinged keypad, a combined floating keypad, a pivot, and a fully floating keypad, although other types of clickable areas utilizing haptic elements are also possible, as will be understood by those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure. The keypad or the area associated with the force-sensitive input element can be positioned on any suitable surface of the device, such as the top, side, front, and rear.

[0138] In hinged keyplate design, the keyplate system can be constructed with local hinges that allow for minimal movement of the keyplate. These hinges can be hinged members, rotating members, or other physical connections between the keyplate and the surrounding structure. For example, FIGS. 9-10 The diagram illustrates the physical connection hinge between the keypad and structural elements (e.g., the top shell) of a computer mouse according to certain embodiments. FIG. 9 The side hinge key is shown, and FIG. 10A rear hinged key is shown. The hinged key plate can be integral, meaning the entire surface of the click area is hinged, or the hinged key plate can be partial, wherein only a portion of the area is hinged and the remaining click remains stationary relative to that portion. Similar to the hinged key plate, other design options, such as pivot keys, are available, as will be understood by those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure. In contrast, according to certain embodiments and further described below, FIG. 11 An example of a non-hinged key supported by a soft covering is shown, and FIG. 12 An example of a fully floating keypad (without hinges) is shown.

[0139] FIGS. 78-82 The illustrations depict certain embodiments in which a hinged joint connects the input element of the device to a structural support. The hinged input element can be physically separated from the top shell, such as... FIG. 78 , FIG. 79 , FIG. 81 , FIG. 82 As shown, the hinged input element can be combined with the top shell, such as... FIG. 80 As shown. In FIG. 78 In this embodiment, a hinge with a neck-shaped (or tapering) region is included, wherein the hinge is bendable, a front portion of the hinge is coupled to an input element, and a rear portion of the hinge is coupled to a top housing. A support is coupled (or connected) to the input element, and a haptic generating element is coupled to the support for transmitting (and in some cases receiving) motion and / or force and / or vibration to (or from) the input element. The haptic generating element may be directly or indirectly coupled to structural elements of the device. FIG. 79 In the implementation method, the following was removed: FIG. 78 The pillar shown is connected directly to the input element, and the tactile generating element is directly coupled to the input element. FIG. 80 In this design, the input components and the top shell are integrated (as a single unit). FIG. 81 In the middle, the rear part of the hinge is connected to the internal structural elements of the device. FIG. 82 In this design, the hinge uses a pivoting rotating joint instead of a neck-like region to achieve movement. The hinge induces a lever effect and acts as a localized reinforcement. In some embodiments, the hinge contributes to a quasi-linear increase in feedback when the input element deforms or deflects.

[0140] FIG. 13AA general prior art system 1300 for coupling a haptic element to an input device is shown. As described above, a preload force can be used to provide a secure mechanical contact and ensure adequate coupling between the haptic element and the corresponding input element to improve the transfer of haptic energy between them. System 1300 includes a haptic element 1322 (e.g., a multilayer piezoelectric element) supported by a carrier platform 1310 via one or more support structures 1314. The support structure 1314 may be a printed circuit board, a sub-base plate, or other suitable substrate configured to support the haptic element. The support structure 1310 may include a cavity 1312, and the support structure 1314 includes openings to allow the haptic element 1322 (e.g., when vibrating) to bend downward into the cavity 1312 to accommodate a full range of motion, or alternatively, the support structure 1314 may fully support the haptic element by providing a rigid-elastic base in a manner that springs energy upward and toward the user. Typically, compression is applied to the combination of the carrier platform 1310, the support structure 1314, and the tactile element 1322 to generate a preload force, causing the tactile element 1322 to press against the underside of the input element 1324 and form a stable mechanical connection, thereby allowing the vibrational energy from the tactile element 1322 to be effectively transferred to the input element 1324. One or more additional layers (e.g., silicone layers), such as layer 1320, may be disposed above the input element.

[0141] FIG. 13B This illustrates a problem in certain prior art systems using preload force. A robust preload force ensures good transfer of mechanical loads and vibrational energy from tactile elements to input elements (e.g., keycaps, keypads); however, preload force can cause input elements to move beyond their preferred resting (e.g., default) position, which can lead to detrimental aesthetic and / or ergonomic effects. For example, when a preload force causes the top surface of input element 1324 to move beyond the contour of the top surface of housing 1312, a discontinuous and visible “step” 1322 is created. This step can propagate through any upper layer 1320 and further enhance the visual effect.

[0142] The various implementations described herein (e.g., see...) FIGS. 14A-14C This overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks and is configured to provide good preload force to ensure good transmission of vibrational energy from the tactile element to the input element (e.g., keypad), and further prevents the input element from traversing beyond its desired position in its rest position. In some aspects, the rest position may be a position where the top surface of the input element is aligned with the top surface of the housing (e.g., top shell), as in... FIGS. 14A-14C The positions shown, or any suitable positions that a person skilled in the art who benefits from this disclosure will understand (e.g., positions above or below the surface of the housing).

[0143] FIGS. 14A-14C The diagram illustrates the key sequence on a system 1400 according to certain embodiments, which provides and maintains a preload force that pushes the tactile element 322 against the keypad 320 and further operates to prevent the keypad from extending beyond a predetermined position (e.g., a default position). In some cases, the predetermined position may be a desired position when the keypad is stationary (e.g., no downward force is acting on the top surface of the keypad 320). FIGS. 14A-14C In this context, the predetermined position is the position where the top surface of the key plate 320 is preferably aligned with the top surface of the housing 310.

[0144] exist FIG. 14A In this system 1400, a housing 310 may correspond to the top shell of a computer mouse. The housing 310 includes a keypad 320 disposed therein. A haptic element 322 (e.g., a piezoelectric element) is supported by a carrier platform 1410 via one or more support structures. These support structures may be printed circuit boards, sub-base plates, or other suitable substrates configured to support the haptic element 322, and in some cases, circuitry is provided to enable communication between the haptic element 322 and a control system, such as the processor 210 of system 200, a host computing device, or a combination thereof. The support structures may include cavities 1412 to allow movement of the haptic element 322 during excitation and deformation, while supporting the haptic element 322 through the edges and / or boundaries of the support structures. The combination of the carrier platform 1410 and the haptic element 322 can be pushed upwards by a preload force, causing the haptic element 322 to be pressed against the underside of the keypad 320, forming a robust mechanical connection that allows vibrational energy from the haptic element 322 to be more effectively transferred to the keypad 320. System 1400 also includes a limiter element 1420, which is operable to physically limit the range of motion of the keypad in one direction. FIGS. 14A-14CIn the example, the limiter element 1420 prevents the top surface of the keypad from deflecting beyond the top surface of the housing due to a preload force. The biasing system may be configured to engage the carrier platform 1410 to the housing 310 and provide a preload force that pushes the tactile element 322, engaged with the carrier platform 1410, against the bottom surface of the pressable keypad 320. In some embodiments, the biasing system may include one or more mechanical fasteners 1411 that mechanically engage the carrier platform 2410 to the housing 310 and allow movement of the carrier platform 1410 relative to the housing 310 within a movable range. A biasing element 1413 may be engaged with 1410 and may be configured to be compressed or disengaged (store mechanical energy) when the mechanical fastener is tightened to the housing. In some embodiments, the biasing element 1413 is configured between the head of the mechanical fastener and the carrier platform. In other embodiments, the carrier platform itself may be a mechanical energy storage device (e.g., by introducing a flexible support or making the carrier itself a leaf spring) that provides a return bias force upon bending, which pushes the carrier platform 1410 upward toward the bottom surface of the pressable key plate 320. Many modifications, variations, and alternative embodiments of this disclosure will be understood by those skilled in the art who will benefit from it.

[0145] The combination of a compressed biasing element and a mechanical fastener provides a preload force that pushes the haptic element against the bottom surface of the pressable keypad. The combination of keypad 320, haptic element 322, and carrier 1410 is operable to be pressed together in response to pressure on the top surface of the keypad. Biasing element 1413 provides a restoring force (stored mechanical energy) that, once the user's pressure is removed from the keypad, moves the combination of keypad, haptic element, and carrier from any pressed position within its movable range back towards a neutral position where the keypad is stationary (e.g., without user pressure). To ensure that the top surface of the keypad is aligned with the top surface of the housing in the neutral position and does not extend beyond this position due to the preload force and / or restoring force, limiter element 1420 extends laterally and contacts the lip of housing 320 at 1430, thereby preventing further upward movement of the keypad. In some embodiments, a tuning element may be used to set the position of the limiter element 1420 contacting the lip of housing 320. For example, the limiter element 1420 may be threadedly coupled to the keyplate 320, allowing the limiter element 1420 to be adjusted upwards or downwards within the keyplate to set a desired height at which upward movement of the keyplate is stopped. The limiter element 1420 may be a stop and may be coupled to the keyplate 320 via a threaded fit, compression fit, adhesive, or any other suitable connection method, and preferably has an adjustable implementation to fine-tune the relationship between the top of the keyplate and the housing when the keyplate is stationary. While some embodiments described herein aim to construct a system 1400 to ensure alignment of the top surface of the keyplate with the top surface of the housing, any suitable configuration of the topmost position of the keyplate may be provided, as will be understood by those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure.

[0146] Returning to the same order, system 1400 is in... FIG. 14A The middle section is shown in a static position, with the top of the key plate 320 and the top of the housing 310 aligned, such that the transition between them presents a continuous profile. Layer 1420 also exhibits a continuous profile without interruption or steps, as... FIG. 14B As shown. In FIG. 14B In this configuration, user 1405 applies a downward force to the top of keypad 320, causing it to be pressed down in combination with the carrier platform 1410, any supporting structure, and tactile element 322. Mechanical fastener 1411 allows downward movement, and biasing element 1413 begins to compress and store energy. The pressing relationship of keypad 320 relative to housing 310 becomes apparent through step 1422 between the two elements. Once user 1405 reduces or removes the downward force, the restoring force of biasing element 1413 pushes carrier platform 1410 back upward to a neutral position. FIG. 14CIn the middle, the carrier platform 1410 continues to move back toward the neutral position until a portion of the limiter element 1420 contacts the lip 1430 of the housing 310 and prevents further upward movement, thereby preventing the key plate from moving beyond the desired neutral position, so that the continuous profile between the top of the key plate 320 and the top of the housing 310 is maintained.

[0147] In some embodiments, the limiter element may be any form of "stop" device located between the keyplate 320 and the housing (e.g., top shell), allowing the keyplate to move downward without resistance from the limiter element, but preventing the keyplate from moving upward beyond a specific position indicated by the location where the limiter element contacts the housing (e.g., where the top of housing 310 and the top plane of keyplate 320 are aligned). In some embodiments, contact may be made between the housing and a carrier support rather than the keyplate or other features, as long as the same function is achieved. The limiter element may be rigid, flexible (e.g., a spring-loaded soft damper), piston-type (e.g., a spring pin, a reverse spring pin), or other suitable mechanical construction. In some cases, the limiter element may be coupled to the keyplate, housing (e.g., top shell), click module, sub-base plate, bottom shell, or other suitable location, as will be understood by those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure. In some cases, the limiter element may be a separate entity coupled to one or more of various elements, as described above. In some cases, the limiter element can be combined with the keypad (e.g., a homogeneous portion of the keypad) or other features, such as in... FIG. 40 As shown, any configuration that provides a mechanical stop point can be used to prevent the keypad from moving upwards beyond a desired stop point (e.g., typically the desired neutral position of the keypad).

[0148] In some implementations, effective operation of the haptic element includes a permanent mechanical connection between the keypad and its corresponding haptic element. This mechanical connection can be constructed within a preferred operating range that ensures proper functioning of the haptic clicking device, including internal loading and / or pre-compression. This improves sensing and feedback transmission (e.g., eliminating gaps or voids for vibration transmission between the computer mouse and the user).

[0149] The haptic module (e.g., haptic elements and support infrastructure) maintains a permanent preload compression between the computer mouse shell (e.g., top shell, keypad, or combination thereof) which may be composed of one or more layered materials and the sub-base plate or support element or structure (e.g., carrier platform).

[0150] Preloading systems can be implemented through many different systems, including interference designs, screw torque elements, flexible material elements that are bent and / or compressed, combinations of mechanical components, etc. Interference designs can involve assembled components intentionally designed to remain in a pre-compressed state throughout the product's lifespan. Screw torque elements can be interference designs, cam designs, etc. Flexible material elements that are bent and / or compressed can include leaf springs, rubber washers, etc. Examples of combinations of mechanical components can include screws with springs that engage brackets or sub-base plates (e.g., conceptually similar to CPU cooler designs).

[0151] FIG. 15 A system is shown, according to certain embodiments, providing preloading at the mechanical interface between the support structure of the tactile element and the keypad area. Similar to... FIGS. 14A-14C Various implementations provide preload force via one or more fasteners, despite having a flexible carrier platform. Screws can be tightened as needed to generate the required force. Compressible elements such as gaskets, springs, O-rings, locking washers, deformable mounting points, and intentionally designed flexible assembly elements can be positioned between adjacent portions of the support structure and the housing. These compressible elements act as biasing mechanisms, moving towards the adjacent portion of the housing due to screw tightening. FIG. 16 The biasing mechanism is shown. In some embodiments, different compressible elements may be used at different connection points between the keyplate and the support structure, as will be understood by those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure. In some embodiments, the carrier platform may be flexible (e.g., an elastic subplate) that can connect the keyplate to the sensing element to transfer load from the keyplate to the sensing element while introducing preload into the system, thereby ensuring continuous contact and preload of the tactile element under any conditions. The elastic subplate can be designed to tune to perform specific static (e.g., desired stiffness) and dynamic behaviors (e.g., tuned resonant frequency). The carrier may include features to prevent the keyplate from lifting as described above. The preload and anti-lift features may both be shared in the same element or separate modules attached to the keyplate.

[0152] FIG. 17A system is illustrated, according to some embodiments, in which a preload is provided via a slotted recess in the housing, into which a haptic element support structure is inserted. The slot restricts movement of the support structure below a certain point (and in at least one lateral direction, as shown in the figure), and in the restricted position, a preload force is applied between the haptic element or sensing element and the keypad. The support structure can move freely upward within the slot, or, in embodiments, a compressible material can be used in the slot above the support structure to provide damping or limiting forces against further upward movement of the support structure into the slot. In some embodiments, the system of the preloaded support structure, haptic element, keypad, and housing elements can be a separate module. For example, the housing including the slot can be a component separate from the overall mouse housing. The assembled, preloaded haptic system can then be coupled to the computer mouse housing.

[0153] FIG. 18 A keypad system 1800 with a leaf spring biasing system according to some embodiments is shown. The keypad system 1800 includes a carrier platform / base plate 1810, a sensing element 1820 (e.g., a haptic element) supported by the carrier platform / base plate 1810, a biasing element 1830 supported on a portion of the base plate and providing a preload force on the haptic element 1820, a keypad and a pressing member 1840 for positioning the preload force and / or user input force to the center of the haptic element, and a soft and flexible top layer 1850. In this embodiment, the system flexibility and its means of storing mechanical energy are embedded in the carrier platform itself in the form of a leaf spring design. This spring design prevents the system from pressing the keypad upwards (e.g., not as a stop but as a release system) while allowing it to press against the haptic element. Furthermore, regardless of where the user presses on the keypad surface, the system 1800 transmits the user's pressure directly to a single (or multiple) point load on the haptic element. Therefore, the tactile element is supported beneath the functional carrier and by other structural elements of the device (e.g., the top shell). In other words, the leaf spring acts as a preload on the tactile element to better transmit mechanical energy. The upward load on the keyplate is then low (or in some cases zero), which prevents the aforementioned aesthetically unappealing stepped appearance. The user input force on the keyplate is directed towards the tactile element for sensing. In some alternative embodiments, a helical compression spring or a flexible base plate may be used instead of the leaf spring, as will be understood by those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure.

[0154] FIG. 19 and FIG. 20 A system is illustrated, according to certain embodiments, of providing preload via the flexibility of a soft top layer of a computer mouse. The soft top layer deforms during assembly, causing the mouse to close with a stretch shell, thereby inducing loads on its internal components, including haptic elements, resulting in a satisfactory preload force. FIG. 19In this system, a soft material (which may also be stretchable) is layered in such a way that it is held under tension between the keyplate and the surrounding structure, thereby providing and maintaining a constant preload in the tactile system to prevent deformation. During assembly, the outer soft material is stretched, enabling the keyplate to be preloaded onto the tactile elements and / or sensor elements. FIG. 20 This refers to a deformable layer that completely or partially encapsulates and seals the keypad. This layer includes functional hinges and baffle-type deformable elements that are stretched when assembled into the computer mouse, thus at least partially contributing to the required preloading while allowing for keypad deformation and minimal movement during user interaction. In operation, when a button is pressed, the compliant material (deformable layer) bends downward and folds itself, acting as a stop along its downward trajectory.

[0155] Click modules or haptic systems may include all the electromechanical systems required to provide a functional interface arranged in a button-type configuration, which is fitted into the structure of a computer mouse. Click modules or haptic systems include haptic elements in arrays of single or multiple components, associated circuitry, and a supporting backing structure, i.e., a sub-base plate or support bracket, and a keypad. Other components include functional or connecting elements, including those that provide and contribute to the required pre-loaded system, mechanical features such as interlocks or fasteners, and bonding devices such as adhesives between layers or mounting features.

[0156] In some embodiments, the limiter element may be a stop constructed between the keypad and the haptic module carrier (e.g., carrier platform) or between the keypad and the housing (e.g., top shell), allowing the keypad to move in one direction (e.g., downward) but preventing movement in another direction (e.g., upward) beyond a threshold position (e.g., reference position, rest position, pre-compression position, etc.), as described above. The purpose of employing such a stop to limit the movable structure is to ensure the integrity of its components, such as sensing or haptic elements, under normal user conditions for good UX, to maintain a secure preload in rest and unloaded positions to maintain the aesthetics of a seamless device design, or to prevent soft layers, such as silicone, from deforming beyond their recoverable strain. Furthermore, the stop may be rigid or compliant and may include compressible elements so that the end of the stroke is well-defined or more progressively achieved. These stops may also be combined with or used as shock dampers and sound dampers.

[0157] In some aspects, the limiter element may be a stop, configured as a keyplate anti-lift system to prevent movement of the keyplate. For example, the limiter element may be a screw, plastic feature, thermoplastic post, feature, or auxiliary component attached to the keyplate, engaging with the housing (e.g., top shell) in a manner that prevents the keyplate from moving upwards beyond a threshold position. In some embodiments, the threshold position is the position where the top of the keyplate aligns with the top of the housing (e.g., top shell) such that the transition between them is coplanar or continuous, without any discontinuous steps or contours, as described above. The limiter element may be attached to the housing (e.g., top shell or bottom shell), the click module, a sub-base plate (e.g., below the click module, independent of the click module), or any combination thereof.

[0158] FIGS. 21-22 The use of a washer or screw-type limiter element, according to certain embodiments, is shown to prevent the keyplate from moving in one direction beyond a threshold position. FIG. 23 Another variation of a washer or screw-type limiter element, incorporating a compressible element according to certain embodiments, is shown. In the latter case, the compressible element employed can serve as an impact and acoustic damper, while effectively facilitating the use of a device with this design in the UX.

[0159] FIG. 24 A keypad system 2400 is shown with a limiter element 2450 coupled to a keypad 2420 via a clamping mechanism. The limiter element 2450 includes a lateral protrusion that prevents movement of the keypad 2420 above a position where the limiter element 2450 contacts the top / bottom shell 2410, thereby maintaining an ergonomically continuous profile between the keypad 2420 and the shell 2410 when the keypad 2420 is in its default position. The limiter element 2450 is anchored to the keypad 2420 via a portion of the keypad 2420 and via the clamping portion. The limiter element 2450 can be secured to the keypad 2420 using any suitable hardware.

[0160] FIG. 25 A keypad system 2500, according to some embodiments, includes a keypad 2520 with an integrated limiter element 2522. The limiter element 2522 is part of the keypad 2520 and laterally protrudes, forming an integral structure. The limiter element 2522 prevents movement of the keypad 2520 above a position where the limiter element 2522 contacts the top / bottom shell 2510, thereby maintaining an ergonomically continuous profile between the keypad 2520 and the housing 2510 when the keypad 2520 is in its default position.

[0161] In some implementations, the keyplate anti-lift system may utilize a piston or sliding pin that engages with and is connected to the keyplate (e.g., engages, fastens, etc.) the carrier platform or base plate (e.g., sub-base plate, internal portion of the input device). FIGS. 26-28 As shown FIG. 25 The stepped limiter element and various aspects of the carrier platform shown herein, the carrier platform control system for movement on all axes except the vertical axis which is configured to prevent shear loads and destructive loads on the tactile element or sensing element, and lateral movement at the key plate surface.

[0162] In some embodiments, the keypad anti-lift system may utilize a clamping portion that engages with the carrier platform or base plate (e.g., sub-base plate, internal portion of the input device, etc.) rather than with the top shell, as will be understood by those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure.

[0163] FIGS. 29-30 An example of how a clamping element can be used in a keypad anti-lift system according to certain embodiments is shown. The system incorporates a stop in the form of a keypad feature that clamps directly to the carrier. This reduces the number of required components and facilitates the assembly of the system architecture. This feature prevents the keypad from moving vertically away from the carrier, thus effectively functioning as a stop, while still allowing and guiding the keypad to compress the tactile elements when pressed by the user. FIG. 30 It also includes soft elements (e.g., O-rings or pads) that allow for compliance in the system to absorb tolerances and required compressive loads between rigid elements (e.g., key plates coupled to a carrier).

[0164] In a peripherally hinged keypad design, the keypad can be hinged around a portion or all, or in some cases, a large portion, of its perimeter via a soft and / or resilient compliant member. The soft and / or compliant member can be attached to the outer surface of the keypad at various locations, such as side portions, top portions, bottom portions, or combinations thereof. Similarly, soft and / or compliant members can be attached to the surface of another support member and / or device at various locations (internal and / or external) and / or portions of the top shell. For example, the keypad can be attached to the top shell and / or sides of a computer peripheral device via a flexible and / or compliant silicon material. FIGS. 31A-31DVariations of peripherally hinged keyplates according to certain embodiments are shown. These embodiments represent different ways of coupling soft and / or compliant members to relatively rigid elements of a device and / or between relatively rigid elements of the device, thereby facilitating at least some input movements of input elements. Soft and / or compliant materials can be used as gaskets to completely or partially seal the boundaries of input elements and to couple soft and / or compliant materials to the device. In some embodiments, soft and / or compliant materials can absorb shocks and / or vibrations, thereby providing a form of mechanical isolation between elements. The properties of soft and / or compliant materials can be adjusted and / or modified at different locations to provide different levels of mechanical isolation and / or absorption of specific frequencies. Soft and / or compliant materials can be homogeneous, heterogeneous, and / or similar to other materials. Soft and / or compliant materials can be directly bonded to the two elements to be coupled, and intermediate materials (which can be soft and / or compliant or rigid) can be used. Furthermore, soft and / or compliant materials can be directly and / or connected to another soft and / or compliant material via an intermediate material.

[0165] FIG. 31A This illustration shows how a soft and / or compliant material, according to certain embodiments, connects the keypad of a computer mouse to adjacent, generally rigid, and vertical sidewalls. The soft and / or compliant material is bonded to both the keypad and the adjacent sidewalls. A portion of the soft and / or compliant material is otherwise positioned between the abutting surfaces of the keypad and the sidewalls. The soft and / or compliant material between other abutting surfaces may be the same as, or different from, the soft and / or compliant material bonded or compliantly to the keypad and sidewalls. For example, a dual-hybrid manufacturing process may be used. Furthermore, the properties of the soft and / or compliant material may vary at different locations. For example, the soft and / or compliant material may have a very high level of compliance at the top (where the user rests their "clicking" finger), a medium level of compliance between other abutting surfaces, and a low level of compliance where it is bonded to the sidewalls (where the user rests their thumb). The thickness of the soft and / or compliant material may be consistent across its various locations.

[0166] Similar to FIG. 31A , FIG. 31BThe diagram illustrates how the top surface of a keypad, according to certain embodiments, is generally planar with the abutting portion of a computer mouse housing. Below each abutting surface is a lip into which a soft and / or compliant material extends. A cavity (closed or open) may exist below the area where the soft and / or compliant material extends. The soft and / or compliant material may not be bonded to the top shell or keypad in this area. When the keypad moves downward, the extended soft and / or compliant material may move into or be compressed within the cavity. A downward projection of the keypad may also exist, at least partially adjacent to a portion of the extension of the soft and / or compliant material. In some cases, the soft and / or compliant material may not be bonded to this keypad projection. A retaining guide may be coupled to the housing of the device and may engage with the keypad projection to restrict movement of the keypad in at least one direction.

[0167] exist FIG. 31C In some embodiments, a key plate extends around the end of the device housing and hooks below a protruding edge of the housing. A soft and / or compliant material is sandwiched between the key plate and the housing on the top and side surfaces of the housing. The key plate and the housing contact where the key plate wraps around the underside of the housing, preventing upward movement of the key plate but allowing downward movement. A gap may also exist between the end of the hooked key plate portion and the housing, allowing at least some lateral (left-right) movement of the key plate. This gap area may also be filled with a soft and / or compliant material, still allowing movement, but damping the movement.

[0168] exist FIG. 31D In some embodiments, the key plate wraps around from the top plane to the side plane. The key plate abuts against the side wall of the housing on the side plane. A soft and / or compliant material is bonded to the outer surface of the key plate and the side wall of the housing, and extends into the area where the key plate and the side wall of the housing abut. Another portion of the soft and / or compliant material extends along the inner surface of the key plate and is bonded to the inner surface of the key plate.

[0169] In floating keyplate designs, according to certain implementations, the keyplate can be completely detached from its rigid connection to an outer housing (e.g., a top shell) and fully supported by the underlying lower module. For example, FIGS. 14A-14C A keyplate fully supported by a carrier platform is shown, wherein there is no rigid mechanical connection between the keyplate and the surrounding top shell, as further described above.

[0170] exist FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 The image also shows a floating keypad design as previously described, according to certain embodiments. FIG. 11A soft and / or compliant material, according to certain embodiments, extends through and is bonded to both the keypad and housing of a computer mouse. The thickness of the soft and / or compliant material can vary depending on its location and desired performance. In some cases, recesses in the keypad where tactile elements may be mounted can be filled with the soft and / or compliant material.

[0171] FIG. 32A An implementation of a tactile element in a keyplate having a side-hinged key surrounding a roller opening region is shown according to certain embodiments.

[0172] FIG. 32B Similar to certain embodiments is shown. FIG. 47 However, the implementation scheme of tactile elements in keypad designs covered with soft, flexible materials.

[0173] FIG. 33 An example of multiple tactile elements mounted on a common carrier support structure according to certain embodiments is shown. Two tactile elements contact the keypad at two different locations. The common carrier support structure can provide a preload force (e.g., compressive force) to form a good mechanical contact between the tactile elements and the keypad. Furthermore, the carrier support structure can typically be a single piece (regarding how many tactile elements it supports) or a combination of multiple pieces joined together.

[0174] In some alternative implementations, reverse engineering can be achieved using fewer tolerance stacks, fewer parts, and a simpler design. Such implementations can be actuated from below as a reaction force pressing down on a pressable area. The haptic element can be directly mounted to the bottom of the keypad. The actuator can be configured under the mouse's structure, such as the sub-base plate or bottom shell.

[0175] To summarize the various haptic implementations presented so far, some implementations can be described between two categories. The first category can correspond to the case where the haptic element applies direct force to a surface touched by a user, which can be referred to as "direct haptics". FIG. 34 A model of an input element with a lateral direct tactile implementation scheme according to certain embodiments is shown. FIG. 34 This illustrates the relationship between the keypad and the computer mouse body during the electro-actuation of the haptic element. Some techniques that can be incorporated into such a design may include solenoids, electromagnets, and piezoelectric actuators.

[0176] The second category involves cases where the tactile element is a vibrating element attached to the surface touched by the user; this can be referred to as "indirect tactile sensation." FIG. 35 A model of an input element having a lateral inter-tactile sensing implementation scheme according to certain embodiments is shown. FIG. 35The relationship between the keypad and the computer mouse body during the electrical actuation of the haptic element is illustrated. In this case, the indirect conversion of haptic energy from the haptic element to the keypad is achieved through the housing 5040 of the haptic element, as shown. Some techniques that can be incorporated into such a design may include linear resonant actuators (LRAs), eccentric rotating masses (ERMs), or piezoelectric-based elements, to name just a few.

[0177] In some cases, each of the two implementation schemes typically follows a different set of design guidelines. For direct haptic implementations, the mechanical connection between the mouse body and the keypad in the actuation direction should generally (1) be rigid enough to ensure reliable transmission of the command waveform to the keypad displacement waveform (e.g., to avoid filtering “high” frequency content); (2) be flexible enough to allow a degree of freedom for perceptible motion; (3) the resonant frequency of the keypad elements typically ranges from approximately 350 Hz to 700 Hz, depending on the haptic element technology; (4) be configured to dampen keypad movement to avoid ringing after excitation, which could translate into a poor user experience (UX); (5) not be damped too much to avoid efficiency losses in the system (e.g., power consumption); and (6) the damping ratio of the keypad elements can typically range from 10% to 50%, depending on the haptic element technology, as will be understood by those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure. In some aspects, high-frequency content can be the highest portion of human-perceptible vibration frequencies: ~500 Hz to 800 Hz. It should be noted that degrees of freedom are usually expressed in terms of stiffness: N / m, and depend largely on the keyplate mass. The range is typically interconnected with a frequency range of 350Hz to 700Hz and is sufficiently flexible, meaning the primary resonant frequency should generally be below 700Hz. In some respects, the connection between mass / stiffness / frequency is the connection of a 1-DOF mechanical resonator (w = sqrt(k / m)).

[0178] For indirect haptic implementation schemes, the following design considerations should be adopted: (1) Stiffness – In order to avoid transferring the limited amount of available energy to the mouse body, the keypad should have a certain degree of flexibility in the actuation direction compared to the mouse body (transmission theory). The haptic operating vibration mode of the keypad should be below 100Hz to 150Hz, with preference given to lower frequencies; (2) Damping – Some damping is preferred and can help reduce the resonance effect of the haptic element. The damping of the keypad relative to the top shell is usually designed between 20% and 100%, although other ranges are also possible; (3) Mounting of haptic elements on the keypad – In order to help maximize the amount of energy transferred from the haptic element to the keypad, the haptic element should be rigidly mounted to the keypad. Generally, higher stiffness will produce better performance because a loosely mounted keypad has lower energy connection efficiency between the haptic element and the keypad.

[0179] In some implementations, tactile stimuli from user-interacting surfaces (e.g., keypads, keycaps, etc.) or tangential (e.g., lateral) haptic components are typically perpendicular to the surface or lie in the surface plane / intermediate plane. Tangential haptic components can offer certain substantial advantages. For example, by definition, the sensing of user force is normal (e.g., measuring normal finger force on a keypad). Tangential haptic components avoid conflicts between sensing and haptic components, allowing for design freedom and flexibility in use because the axes are different, unlike normal haptic implementations. Various studies have shown that fingertips are more sensitive to lateral stimuli than to normal stimuli. Lateral haptic components can therefore be more efficient because significantly less power is required for the same tactile sensation to the user.

[0180] FIG. 36 This document presents a first solution for a model that links actuation and sensing in a lateral haptic solution, according to certain embodiments. The model includes a mouse body, a sensing printed circuit board (PCB), an actuator with protrusions, a haptic element, and a keypad. A keypad suspension connects the keypad to the mouse body in any of the following various implementations: a plastic flexible element, a metal blade, a coil spring with guides, an elastic washer, a flexible adhesive / material, or a soft cover for seamless mouse designs such as floating keypad designs, as further described throughout this disclosure. The keypad suspension can be carefully designed, for example, tuned to achieve any suitable performance characteristics including rigidity, flexibility, etc. In some embodiments, the haptic element is configured to induce lateral haptic feedback to the user via the keypad. Although some of these embodiments illustrate a tangential haptic implementation, these embodiments can also be applied in normal constructions, as will be understood by those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure. Note that in FIG. 36 and FIG. 39 In this design, actuation and sensing are coupled, and the actuator protrusion is attached to the tactile element, so the tactile element can be seen on the sensing signal. FIG. 37 and FIG. 38 In this system, the suspension has the additional function of disconnecting the sensing and actuation.

[0181] FIG. 37This is a second solution illustrating a model in which actuation and sensing are disconnected in a lateral haptic solution, according to certain embodiments. The model includes a mouse body, a sensing printed circuit board (PCB), an actuator with protrusions, a haptic element, and a keypad. A keypad suspension connects the keypad to the actuator in any of the following various implementations: a flexible plastic element, a metal blade, a coil spring with guides, an elastic washer, a flexible adhesive / material, or a soft cover for seamless mouse designs such as floating keypad designs, as further described throughout this disclosure. The keypad suspension can be carefully designed, for example, tuned to achieve any suitable performance characteristics including rigidity, flexibility, etc. In some embodiments, the haptic element is configured to induce lateral haptic feedback to the user via the keypad.

[0182] FIG. 38 A model is shown, according to certain embodiments, for disconnecting actuation and sensing in a conventionally constructed haptic solution. The model includes a mouse body, a sensing printed circuit board (PCB), an actuator with protrusions, a haptic element, and a keypad. The keypad suspension can connect the keypad to the actuator in any of the following various implementations: a flexible plastic element, a metal blade, a coil spring with guides, an elastic washer, a flexible adhesive / material, or a soft cover for seamless mouse designs such as floating keypad designs, as further described throughout this disclosure. The keypad suspension can be carefully designed, for example, tuned to achieve any suitable performance characteristics including rigidity, flexibility, etc. In some embodiments, the haptic element can be configured to induce normal haptic feedback to the user via the keypad.

[0183] FIG. 39 A model is shown, according to certain embodiments, for coupling actuation and sensing in a conventionally constructed haptic solution. The model includes a mouse body, a sensing printed circuit board (PCB), an actuator with protrusions, a haptic element, and a keypad. A suspension connects the sensing PCB to the mouse body in any of the following various implementations: a flexible plastic element, a metal blade, a coil spring with guides, an elastic washer, a flexible adhesive / material, or a soft cover for seamless mouse designs such as floating keypad designs, as further described throughout this disclosure. The suspension can be carefully designed, for example, tuned to achieve any suitable performance characteristics including rigidity, flexibility, etc. In some embodiments, the haptic element can induce normal haptic feedback to the user via the keypad.

[0184] In some embodiments, the force-sensitive input elements (e.g., haptic elements) described in this disclosure can realize conventional mechanical keypads as well as designs that are immovable and imperceptibly movable, such as solid-state computer mice. Unlike conventional mechanical keypad designs, solid-state input elements on a computer mouse can be defined by immovable (or imperceptibly movable) clickable areas. For example, immovable areas can be areas that do not provide significant displacement / travel, as is common in articulated mechanical keys, but which can still deflect or deform under normal user loads. Conventional mechanical keypad designs typically span 50mm to 100mm, which can be an order of magnitude or more larger than solid-state input elements. In some aspects, solid-state input elements can allow for a better combination of haptic click technology with design flexibility for more innovative designs (e.g., without the need for conventional mechanical systems that may limit design options), better compatibility with haptic and vibration-based feedback technologies, and improved transmissibility of user input and haptic output feedback. Some implementations can combine fully enclosed keypad systems, which have no perceptible mechanical movement (except for possible material deflection) and comprise one or more layers with different materials and properties, such as an inner shell made of a rigid material (e.g., ABS plastic) and an outer shell with soft tactile properties (e.g., silicone, rubber, TPE, etc.). From a user experience perspective, although the input elements with haptic feedback do not have perceptible mechanical displacement, the user can receive haptic cues (e.g., pulses from the haptic elements) that can make the user feel as if there is a displacement, or at least provide a sensory cue that a key press event has been instantiated. In some cases, solid-state input devices can employ keypads that can be flat or have complex geometries, any of which can accommodate multiple haptic elements (e.g., piezoelectric elements), and offer greater creative flexibility because the keypad profile does not have to be designed to fit bulky and cumbersome mechanical key switches and corresponding architectures.

[0185] Tactile elements, such as piezoelectric elements, can be modulated and tuned based on their mechanical support. Tuning features may be designed to enhance or improve the mechanical connection structure for a specific frequency (or frequency range) to provide the user with enhanced tactile cues and a better user experience (UX); while other features may be intended to dampen or suppress unwanted frequencies, such as noise and clicks, which may be detrimental to UX and device functionality. In any case, the features used as mechanical supports and connectors will alter the behavior of the vibrating structure and its response to both user input and other external loads, as well as feedback generated in the tactile element, as will be understood by those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure. Thus, the dynamic behavior of a tactile element is modified by influencing its so-called boundary conditions. By changing the shape of the boundary conditions (e.g., the clamping position, stiffness, and rigidity), the shape, frequency, and response of the vibration modes can be tuned to a desired range and operating mode to some extent.

[0186] Various aspects of this disclosure relate to connectivity solutions for haptic elements without the use of subtractors or adhesives or by means of bonding or soldering to flexible printed circuits (FPCs), while still ensuring preload and contact continuity between the haptic element, sensing element, and corresponding keypad for improved sensing and feedback transmission (e.g., effective connection of mechanical vibrations), adjusting and tuning the local basis of the haptic element to effectively alter and modulate its dynamic behavior, including shaping its vibration modes and switching resonant frequencies. These connectivity solutions can also reduce the cost of haptic modules while improving reliability and durability (e.g., mitigating or eliminating circuit degradation, trace silver migration), enabling repairability, and providing more sustainable design options (by removing the contribution of electronic subtraction).

[0187] In some implementations, the tuning of haptic feedback can be done at a structure coupled to the haptic element, such as at a keypad. For example, a specific area or the entirety of the keypad's touch area can be designed such that its vibrational response is tuned to amplify or dampen specific frequencies introduced by the haptic element. Tuning is achieved through design choices, such as dimensional characteristics (e.g., material thickness), material properties, and specific features such as hinge design, partially movable areas, or any other means that will be understood by those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure.

[0188] FIGS. 40-42 An example of a tactile device with a touch surface, according to some embodiments, is shown. This touch surface is locally tuned to respond at a given resonant frequency by incorporating springs in its surrounding and static areas. In this example, the leaf spring allows lateral movement at a single dominant frequency while avoiding or minimizing responses outside the optimal bandwidth. This is an example of a lateral tactile device.

[0189] FIGS. 43-46C Examples of keypads designed to intentionally vibrate at a specific frequency, according to certain embodiments, are shown to match the excitation and response of tactile elements. Both cases provide examples of normally perceived tactile feedback. FIGS. 43-44C An example of a local tuning region of a keypad according to certain embodiments is shown. FIGS. 45-46C An example of an entire touch surface tuned to match haptic feedback according to certain embodiments is shown. Additional mechanical elements may be introduced between the haptic element and the touch surface to further modulate and influence the haptic response. These include dampers (e.g., tuned rubber bushings), reinforcements, fasteners, springs, or other resilient elements with tuned resonance. Furthermore, mechanical features may be introduced to restrict or constrain movement in one or more undesirable directions, such as restricting up-down, lateral, and torsional movements, while allowing movement in directions aligned with the haptic element excitation. This application may utilize guides, pins, springs or resilient elements, design features, or any other means that will be understood by those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure.

[0190] FIG. 47 An embedded keypad (light blue) with a haptic element (white) integrated into the mouse's top shell (dark blue line) is shown. The haptic element is mechanically coupled to the keypad via a sub-base plate (yellow), which includes a compliant actuator (red) that transfers load to the sensing element (green). Between the base plate and the haptic element, a compressible element (black) is introduced to ensure preload in the system. The keypad is hinged at the rear (right side) by a flexible feature. The additional preload for the keypad is caused by a magnet located at the front edge (left side of the image), oriented downwards towards a magnetic component (e.g., a screw) in the top shell. While this solution provides a simple and effective way to integrate all the necessary systems and sense user interaction in a clicking device, it was found that this approach was insufficient to convey haptic feedback to the user. A loss of haptic feedback resulted in poor transmission of haptic energy because the haptic feedback was better coupled to the compliant element and thus to the rest of the mouse rather than the user. In other words, in this implementation, tactile energy is more likely to flow into the internal structure of the computer mouse rather than into the keyboard, resulting in inefficient transfer of tactile energy to the user.

[0191] FIG. 48AAn embedded multi-layered keypad (light blue) with a haptic element (white) integrated into the mouse top shell (dark blue line) according to some embodiments is shown. The haptic element is mechanically coupled to the keypad via a sub-base plate (yellow). A separate bridging section (orange) includes a compliant actuator (red) that transfers load to a sensing element (green) and is directly coupled to the haptic element. Between the sub-base plate and the bridging section, features are included to transfer the load after initial pre-compression and better protect the haptic element from overload. The keypad is hinged at the rear (right side) by a flexible feature that allows the keypad to move downwards as a whole, even in a quasi-solid-state design. However, a second hinge is added to the keypad to separate the top surface, i.e., the user-accessible area, from the underlying structure supporting the bridging element. This second hinge operates as a partial disconnect feature between the top structure and the overall movement of the keypad caused by the user, thereby allowing vibrations to occur locally. This hinge allows excitation from the haptic element to be effectively transmitted to the user, for example, upwards and perpendicular to the touch surface, while significantly reducing haptic energy loss throughout the system (e.g., haptic energy coupled to areas excluding the keypad). The hinge can also be designed to be tuned to haptic vibrators (e.g., resonating with the haptic element), which can function as a mechanical amplifier or damper for structural vibrations. Additional preload on the keypad is caused by a magnet positioned at the front edge (left side of the figure), oriented downwards towards magnetic components (e.g., screws) in the top housing.

[0192] In some exemplary embodiments of the multi-layer keypad implementation, the input device (e.g., a computer mouse) may include: a housing; a multi-layer pressable keypad including a first layer and a second layer; a tactile element (e.g., a piezoelectric device); a sub-base plate configured to support the tactile element and directly connect the tactile element to the bottom surface of the first layer of the keypad; and a sensor. When the multi-layer keypad is pressed down a threshold distance, the second layer of the multi-layer pressable keypad may contact the sensor, causing the sensor to detect that the multi-layer pressable keypad has been pressed. In some cases, the multi-layer pressable keypad is a monolithic structure, such that the first and second layers move as a single unit relative to the housing when the multi-layer pressable keypad is pressed. Tactile energy generated by the tactile element is coupled to the first layer of the multi-layer pressable keypad, and the downward pressing force of the multi-layer pressable keypad is coupled to the sensor via the second layer of the multi-layer pressable keypad. The first and second layers may be vertically aligned relative to each other such that the second layer is positioned below the first layer. In some embodiments, the first layer of the multi-layer pressable keypad may be tuned to resonate at the operating frequency of the tactile actuation element. In some aspects, the haptic element is not directly coupled to the second layer of the keypad, and the haptic energy generated by the haptic element is substantially located in the first layer of the multi-layer pressable keypad, such that more than 50% of the haptic energy is transferred to the first layer, and in some tuning embodiments, more than 75%, 90%, or more of the haptic energy can be transferred. In some embodiments, the first layer is flexible, and the second layer is rigid relative to the first layer. In some cases, the sub-base plate may not be directly coupled to the multi-layer pressable keypad or to the housing of the computer mouse. In some embodiments, the first layer includes a first end, and the second layer includes a second end, and the first layer is coupled to the second layer via the first and second ends. In simpler terms, the first and second layers can be analogous to two planks stacked vertically relative to each other, connected to each other at the same end of each plank, such as... FIG. 48A As shown in the image.

[0193] FIGS. 48B-48C A keypad system 4850 with integrated tactile elements is illustrated according to some embodiments. The keypad system 4850 includes a user-accessible keypad (blue) with integrated tactile elements (white), wherein the keypad is coupled to a resilient subplate (yellow), which can transmit loads (e.g., forces from user key presses) to a sensing element (dark green) via actuators of a specific shape and form (dark red). The resilient subplate can be tuned by design to perform specific static behaviors (e.g., desired stiffness) and dynamic behaviors (e.g., tuned resonant frequencies). In some aspects, the keypad system 4850 may incorporate a preload system and a lifting stop (e.g., a limiter element) (see, for example, [link to relevant documentation]). FIGS. 14A-14CThis ensures the mechanical connection of components under any conditions while preventing the keyplate from lifting. Such preload system components can be shared within the same component (dark orange component) and can be separate modules attached to the keyplate or utilize features available from the sub-base plate (such as...). FIGS. 48B-48C (As shown in the diagram). In the latter case, the sub-base plate may include a leaf spring that serves as a preload inducer, connecting the system to the device body. In this arrangement, the tactile element provides feedback to the user by laterally vibrating the connected base plate and key plate and stimulating a touch area tangential to their surfaces.

[0194] In some implementations, the keyplate hinge stiffness (K1) is designed to allow the system to move and load under user loads and also positions the keyplate relative to the device body (responsible for configuring the position and orientation of the user-accessible portion of the keyplate relative to the device body (housing)). A flexible carrier (K2) is designed for stiffness and other mechanical properties. For example, the flexible carrier can be tuned to ensure preload (compliance) throughout the system and in the underlying load sensor. The carrier design also allows for tuning dynamic behavior (e.g., resonance and transient response) to improve tactile energy transfer and mitigate vibration and clicking problems (e.g., in other parts of the input device). In some aspects, the preload spring (K3) can be a leaf spring-type extension of the flexible carrier (joint feature). The load transfer element (actuator) can include geometric and material design factors and operates to allow for the determination of preload and disturbance (for preload) and the transfer of load between the keyplate and the sensor. The stiffness or compliance of the material also allows for gradual loading of the sensing element. In some aspects, load transfer elements using soft materials can also dampen and accommodate geometric tolerance deviations. The sensing element can have stiffness and can behave as a bending beam with tuned stiffness and geometry. In some aspects, the keypad can also include other mechanical features such as mounting points, location areas, and overload prevention features. Variations in the dimensions, stiffness, compliance, position, etc., of the elements of the keypad system 4850 can be selected based on design objectives. Many modifications, variations, and alternative implementations will be understood by those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure.

[0195] In some exemplary embodiments, a computer mouse includes: a housing; a multi-layered, pressable keypad including a first layer and a second layer; a haptic element; a sub-base plate configured to support the haptic element and directly connect the haptic element to the bottom surface of the first layer of the keypad; and a sensor (e.g., a force sensor, a key detection sensor, etc.). In some cases, when pressed down a threshold distance, the second layer of the multi-layered, pressable keypad contacts the sensor, causing the sensor to detect that the multi-layered, pressable keypad has been pressed down. In some aspects, the multi-layered, pressable keypad is an integral structure, such that the first and second layers move as a single unit relative to the housing when the multi-layered, pressable keypad is pressed down. In some embodiments, haptic energy generated by the haptic element is coupled to the first layer of the multi-layered, pressable keypad, and the downward pressure pushing the multi-layered, pressable keypad is coupled to the sensor via the second layer of the multi-layered, pressable keypad. The first and second layers may be vertically aligned such that the second layer is positioned below the first layer. The first layer of the multi-layered, pressable keypad may be tuned to resonate at the operating frequency of the haptic actuation element. In some embodiments, the haptic element is not directly coupled to the second layer of the keypad, and the haptic energy generated by the haptic element is substantially located in the first layer of the multi-layer pressable keypad. In some embodiments, the first layer is flexible, and the second layer is rigid relative to the first layer. In some embodiments, the sub-base plate is not directly coupled to the multi-layer pressable keypad, nor is it directly coupled to the housing of the computer mouse. The first layer may include a first end, and the second layer includes a second end, wherein the first layer is coupled to the second layer via the first end and the second end.

[0196] In other embodiments, the computer mouse includes a pressable keypad with a bottom side portion, a haptic element coupled to the bottom side portion of the pressable keypad, a flexible subplate configured to support the haptic element and provide a preloaded force to push the haptic element against the bottom surface of the pressable keypad, a sensing element, and a load-transfer element configured between the bottom of the flexible subplate and the top of the sensing element and coupled to them, the load-transfer element being operable to transfer force loads from the keypad and the flexible subplate to the sensing element. The computer mouse may also include: an outer shell having an opening (e.g., a aperture) defining the outer casing of the computer mouse, wherein the pressable keypad is configured within the opening of the outer shell; and an inner bottom plate disposed within the outer shell and configured to coupled to and provide structural support for the combination of the keypad, haptic element, flexible subplate, load-transfer element, and sensor, wherein the pressable keypad is floating and disconnected from the outer shell. In some embodiments, a soft, compliant layer seamlessly covers the keypad and the outer shell. The haptic element may be structurally integrated with the pressable keypad. The flexible baseplate can be tuned to include a static portion and a dynamic portion, wherein the static portion has increased stiffness and the dynamic portion is tuned to the resonant frequency of the haptic element. Some embodiments may also include a limiter element operable to physically limit the range of motion of the keyplate in a manner opposite to a preload force that pushes the haptic element coupled to the flexible baseplate against the bottom surface of the depressable keyplate. In some cases, the depressable keyplate is the left or right mouse button on a computer mouse. The flexible baseplate may be constructed as a leaf spring. In some cases, the load-transmitting element is made of a soft, compliant material that dampens vibrations. In some embodiments, the soft, compliant material includes foam, polyurethane, rubber, polymer, or TPE. In some cases, the haptic element may be a piezoelectric element.

[0197] FIGS. 49-51 An example of a tactile device according to some embodiments is shown, wherein a touch area (blue) is directly coupled to a tactile element (white) housed by a floating sub-base plate (green). The sub-base plate contains two leaf springs (grey) tuned to resonate at a specific frequency matching the response of the tactile element. The springs are also embedded in a mechanism (yellow) that ensures preload in the system via its mechanical connection to a static base plate (red) of the device. The system provides tactile feedback perpendicular to the touch surface.

[0198] FIGS. 52-54An example of a tactile device according to certain embodiments is shown, in which movement in all directions is restricted except for lateral movement tangential to the touch surface and aligned with the tactile element. This is achieved by a local guide feature in a sub-base plate (white) coupled to a keypad (blue), wherein the tactile element (grey) is attached to the keypad. The keypad system is then coupled to a base plate (green) supported by two leaf springs (grey), thereby introducing compliance and preload into the system. Elastic elements (black and red) are included in the system to maintain the preload while providing multidirectional damping and transferring the load to the sensing element. Thus, unidirectional lateral tactile sensing, tangential to the touch surface and aligned with the tactile element excitation, is possible.

[0199] These various implementations can be coupled, paired, and combined independently of the haptic elements, with the overall architecture tuned through design at each relevant component level. Similarly, if the haptic element is tunable, its excitation can be modulated in amplitude, frequency, pulse duration, variations and number of pulses, variations in excitation (e.g., ramps or steps), or any other controllable parameters to better match the vibrational response of the surrounding structure, which can lead to improved UX. Some haptic elements may have limited bandwidth to restrict control over these parameters and may include implementations using multilayer piezoelectric elements, certain LRAs and LRMs, etc.

[0200] In some embodiments, a suspension membrane is used to provide a relatively smooth suspension of the keypad on a computer mouse, allowing movement and mitigating mechanical vibrations (e.g., vibrations from haptic elements) to prevent attachment to other unintended parts of the computer mouse. In some embodiments, the suspension membrane may be coplanar with the keypad and surrounding support elements (or more generally, for non-planar complex surfaces, it may share a common profile with the keypad and surrounding support elements). The suspension membrane may also have some slack sections. The suspension membrane may extend continuously through the top surface of the keypad and / or the support elements. The suspension membrane may also be attached to the side or bottom portions of the keypad and / or support elements. The material of the suspension membrane may also completely surround one or more of the elements to which it is attached.

[0201] FIG. 55 A keypad system utilizing a suspended membrane according to certain embodiments is shown. The keypad system includes a keypad, a housing, a suspended membrane connecting the keypad to the housing, and a plurality of tactile elements connected to the underside of the keypad and supported by a support infrastructure.

[0202] FIG. 56 Another keyplate system utilizing a suspended membrane is shown according to certain embodiments. FIG. 56 The keypad system can be similar to FIG. 55The keypad system incorporates a suspension membrane, but the keypad and suspension membrane are integrated into a single elastomer component. This component can be molded and has complex external shapes (an advantage of suspension keypads) to allow for flexibility in the external industrial design of the product. Therefore, keypad systems incorporating suspension membranes can facilitate seamless design, good coupling of mechanical vibrations from the tactile elements to the keypad without coupling to adjacent features (e.g., other parts of a computer mouse), and allow for greater flexibility in the external industrial design of the product.

[0203] In some implementations, the key travel enhancement system can be used to increase key travel in a keypad system by adding a soft bias element in series with the stiffness of the haptic element. The bias element can be a dedicated spring, elastic rubber or elastomer, or another suitable compliant bias element. Furthermore, the introduction of a compliant layer, such as compressible silicone, can benefit the user by providing a sense of keypad movement when the surface is (mostly) stationary. FIGS. 57-59 An example of a two-layer tactile device according to some embodiments is shown, wherein the outer layer, the touchable surface, is made of a soft, compliant material.

[0204] FIG. 60 and FIG. 61 An example of the introduction of a compliant actuator (red) between a touch surface (white / yellow) and a sensing element (green) according to certain embodiments is shown.

[0205] As mentioned above, compliant elements facilitate load transfer from a larger touch area and better focus the input on the sensing element components. The design parameters and materials used in the compliant actuator can be selected to tune the actuator to introduce the desired mechanical response and gradually load the specific sensing element to, for example, linearize the load transferred to the contact area. The design of this element also allows for a more general design for input architectures of any sensing element type or technology. Therefore, the same input design can be adapted to different sensing options or technologies by simply changing the compliant element to match a new sensing element, while maintaining the same structural design.

[0206] FIGS. 62-65 An example of a compliant actuator (red) that precisely transmits load to a sensor located in the sensing element (light green) is shown. FIG. 66 It is a graph illustrating compliance introduced by loads applied at different input levels (from click threshold to normal user input to heavy user input) according to certain implementations. FIG. 67 It is a graph showing a composite linearized curve of the load applied to the sensing element versus the contact area according to certain embodiments.

[0207] In some implementations, the force-sensitive input element is positioned below the average pressing area on the input element (e.g., a keypad). In some implementations, multiple force-sensitive input elements are positioned around the average pressing area on the input element. The force-sensitive input elements may be located at equidistant points from the center of the average pressing area.

[0208] In some implementations, a haptic system for a computer mouse may include additional secondary sensing elements or alternative primary sensing elements to supplement any sensing from capable haptic elements. These sensing elements may serve independently as the primary source of user input detection or supplement the sensing capabilities of existing haptic elements (e.g., load rate from piezoelectric devices). Such sensing elements are capable of detecting forces, strain, displacement, rotation, or any other input or result of user input within the mouse structure, as well as previous load rates or changes.

[0209] In some implementations, employing multiple sensing elements or a single sensing element capable of detecting multiple cues from user input, such as combined measurements of load rate and absolute force, allows coverage of all user inputs typically available in a computer mouse and covers usability scenarios. This is considered crucial for novel technologies that maintain or surpass current levels of sensing reliability for computer mice. Examples include successfully detecting interactions such as drag-and-drop, or holding down a key while selecting multiple items—where the user clicks, holds the key for an undefined duration, and releases it after the task is completed. In such cases, simply measuring the load rate without detecting the holding phase, quasi-static input (considering the natural variation in user input force) would not provide any reliable or measurable variation input. In this case, combining or adding a second measurement, such as the user's absolute force, by detecting synthetic strain in the mouse structure beneath the finger would provide a reliable metric by detecting the level of force occurring during the quasi-static holding phase. Similarly, this sensing capability allows for reliable detection of user input when the mouse is moved—including across rough surfaces or when it is lifted—while still avoiding unwanted clicks due to shocks or vibrations.

[0210] Such sensing elements can be embedded in the mouse structure in various layouts to optimize the detection of intentional user input. In some embodiments, the sensing element can be embedded in the touch area itself, directly integrated into the mouse shell, integrated within a layer (e.g., between a rigid and a soft layer), or directly integrated under the mouse, mounted in a sub-base plate attached to the top shell of the mouse. In other arrangements, the sensing element can be integrated into a separate structure attached to other mouse structures, requiring a mechanical connector between the touch area and the element itself to transmit user input. In other embodiments, the sensing element can be integrated into the bottom of the mouse, such as into the main PCB of the mouse, or even into other compliant structures (e.g., the mouse feet). In any of the embodiments presented herein, the mouse can maintain its solid-state design, in which, unlike more traditional mechanical keypads, there is no noticeable keypad movement. Similarly, a seamless design can be achieved when payload transfer between the structure and the sensing element is allowed.

[0211] FIG. 68 An example of a sensing element (green) connected to a sub-base plate mounted to the top shell of a computer mouse, according to some embodiments, is shown, wherein the load is transmitted through a sub-base plate (yellow) that also includes a tactile element (gray).

[0212] FIG. 69 An example of a sensing element (green) combined with a dedicated structure attached to the bottom of the mouse, according to some embodiments, is shown, wherein the load is transmitted through a sub-and extended base plate (yellow) that simultaneously includes a tactile element (gray).

[0213] FIG. 70 An example of a sensing element (green) integrated with and coupled to the bottom of a computer mouse's main PCB, according to some embodiments, is shown, wherein load is transferred through a sub- and extended base plate (yellow) that simultaneously includes a haptic element (gray). In any of these examples, the structure employed to transfer user input load to the sensing element can benefit from structural optimization, including the use of compliant and elastomeric materials to linearize load transfer (e.g., load versus compression or contact area of ​​the sensing element) and the introduction of damping into the system.

[0214] In some embodiments, the haptic element may be coupled to or integrated with the main touch structure (e.g., a keypad) or suitably coupled to the touch structure in a sub-base plate. Further optimization of the haptic feedback for a good UX can be achieved by coupling to the entire touch surface or a more localized touch area. In some embodiments, a typical haptic click architecture may combine any of the following: a touchable surface with or without a soft layer; a keypad; a preloaded system using springs, compliant materials, or a designed structure with the desired stiffness; a haptic element coupled to any structure within the structure; a primary or secondary sensing element; a sub-base plate for transmitting user input to the sensing element and / or including the haptic element; any mechanical subsystems or features required for proper assembly and function, such as guides, pivots, hinges, fasteners and screw bosses, clamps, and stops; or other features that will be understood by those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure.

[0215] FIG. 71 An example of a haptic clicking system according to some embodiments is shown, wherein a touchable area including a keypad (yellow) has a sub-base plate (blue), which also incorporates a haptic element (white) connected thereto. The system can be configured to transfer load to a sensing element (dark green) while preloading the sensing element via a mechanical spring element (grey). In this arrangement, the haptic element transmits feedback to the user by vibrating the connected base plate and keypad and stimulating a touch area perpendicular to its surface.

[0216] FIG. 72 This is an example of a tactile clicking system according to certain embodiments, wherein the touchable area, i.e., the keypad (yellow), has a sub-base plate (blue), and the keypad also incorporates a tactile element (white) connected thereto. The system transfers load to a sensing element (dark green) while preloading the sensing element via a mechanical spring element (grey). In this arrangement, the tactile element provides feedback to the user by causing the connecting base plate and keypad to vibrate laterally and stimulating a touch area tangential to their surfaces.

[0217] FIG. 73 An example of a tactile clicking system according to certain embodiments is shown, wherein the touchable area, i.e., the keypad (yellow), has a sub-base plate (blue) that transmits load to a sensing element (dark green) while preloading the sensing element via a mechanical spring element (grey). In this arrangement, the tactile element (white) is directly coupled to the keypad, thereby providing feedback to the user by directly stimulating a touch area perpendicular to its surface.

[0218] FIG. 74An example of a tactile clicking system according to certain embodiments is shown, wherein the touchable area, i.e., the keypad (light green), has a sub-base plate (blue) that transmits load to a sensing element (dark green) while preloading the sensing element via a mechanical spring element (grey). In this arrangement, the tactile element (white) is directly coupled to the keypad in an inclined position, thereby providing feedback to the user by directly stimulating a touch area tangential to its surface.

[0219] FIG. 75 An example of a haptic clicking system according to certain embodiments is shown, wherein a keypad (light green) has a separate touch area due to a partially hinged region, while a sub-base plate (blue) is connected to its lateral and non-vibrating structures (disconnected from the touch area). Load is transferred from the sub-base plate to the sensing element (green), which is preloaded via a mechanical spring element (grey). In this arrangement, the haptic element is directly connected to the keypad hinged region, thereby providing feedback to the user by directly stimulating the touch area perpendicular to its surface.

[0220] FIG. 76 An example of a tactile clicking system according to certain embodiments is shown, wherein a keypad (light green) has a separate full-touch area due to its hinged or pivoted region, while a sub-base plate (blue) is connected to its lateral and non-vibrating structures (disconnected from the touch area). Load is transferred from the sub-base plate to the sensing element (green), which is also preloaded via a mechanical spring element (grey). In this arrangement, the tactile element (white) is directly connected to the keypad hinge area, thereby providing feedback to the user by directly stimulating the touch area perpendicular to its surface.

[0221] FIG. 77 An example of a haptic clicking system according to certain embodiments is shown, wherein a keypad (light green) has a separate full-touch area due to a hinged or pivoted region and a fixedly coupled base plate. A sensing element (dark green) is incorporated into the keypad, coupled to its fixed region, and has one or more contact points in the touch (compliant or movable) region. Loads are transmitted directly to the sensing element via these contact points, resulting in bending, compression, or torsion of the sensing element, as will be understood by those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure. Alternatively, the sensing element can detect user loads by measuring the proximity of the keypad via optical, inductive, capacitive, and any other non-contact techniques, as will be understood by those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure. In this arrangement, a haptic element (white) is directly coupled to the keypad hinged region, thereby providing feedback to the user by directly stimulating a touch area perpendicular to its surface.

[0222] A haptic module typically includes a carrier platform, one or more haptic elements, and a support infrastructure. Haptic modules can be coupled to an input device in a variety of different implementations, including (1) a single unified carrier platform supporting two keypads (e.g., a left keypad and a right keypad), (2) a separate carrier platform for accommodating each keypad or corresponding individual haptic element, (3) a foil-free design in which the haptic elements are directly coupled to the carrier platform using separate wiring arrangements (e.g., pins, wires, SMT, etc.), and (4) a combined carrier platform with a plastic retainer and a steel bracket for preload.

[0223] Most implementations utilize at least one network familiar to those skilled in the art that supports communication using any of the various commercially available protocols such as TCP / IP, UDP, OSI, FTP, UPnP, NFS, CIFS, etc. This network can be, for example, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a virtual private network (VPN), the Internet, an intranet, an extranet, a public switched telephone network (PSTN), an infrared network, a wireless network, and any combination thereof.

[0224] In implementations utilizing a web server as an operational or security server, the web server can run any of a variety of server or middleware applications, including HTTP servers, FTP servers, CGI servers, data servers, Java servers, and business application servers. The server may also be able to respond to requests from user devices, such as by executing one or more applications that can be implemented as one or more scripts or programs, including, but not limited to, these scripts or programs. The server may be written in any programming language such as C, C#, or C++, or any scripting language such as Perl, Python, or TCL, or combinations thereof. The server may also include a database server, including but not limited to those that can be accessed from... and Those servers purchased commercially.

[0225] Such devices may also include, as described above, computer-readable storage medium readers, communication devices (e.g., modems, network interface cards (wireless or wired), infrared communication devices, etc.), and working memory. The computer-readable storage medium reader may be connected to or configured to receive non-transitory computer-readable storage media, which represents remote, local, fixed, and / or removable storage devices, as well as storage media for temporarily and / or more permanently containing, storing, transmitting, and retrieving computer-readable information. Systems and various devices will also typically include multiple software applications, modules, services, or other elements residing within at least one working storage device, including operating systems and applications such as client applications or browsers. It should be understood that alternative implementations may have many variations from the above-described implementations. For example, custom hardware may be used and / or specific elements may be implemented in hardware, software (including portable software, such as applets), or both. Furthermore, connections to other computing devices, such as network input / output devices, may be employed.

[0226] This document sets forth numerous specific details to provide a thorough understanding of the claimed subject matter. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the claimed subject matter can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, apparatus, or systems known to those of ordinary skill have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the claimed subject matter. The various embodiments illustrated and described are provided merely as examples to illustrate the various features of the claims. However, the features shown and described with respect to any given embodiment are not necessarily limited to the relevant embodiment and can be used or combined with other embodiments shown and described. Furthermore, the claims are not intended to be limited to any of the exemplary embodiments.

[0227] Although the subject matter has been described in detail with respect to specific embodiments thereof, it should be understood that those skilled in the art, upon gaining an understanding of the foregoing, can readily generate such modifications, variations, and equivalents of the embodiments. Therefore, it should be understood that this disclosure is presented for illustrative purposes rather than limiting, as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and does not exclude the inclusion of such modifications, variations, and / or additions to the subject matter. In fact, the methods and systems described herein can be embodied in various other forms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made to the form of the methods and systems described herein without departing from the spirit of this disclosure. The appended claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications that fall within the scope and spirit of this disclosure.

[0228] While this disclosure provides certain exemplary embodiments and applications, other embodiments that will be apparent to those skilled in the art—including embodiments that do not provide all the features and advantages set forth herein—are also within the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of this disclosure is intended to be limited only by reference to the appended claims.

[0229] Unless otherwise expressly stated, it should be understood that throughout this specification, discussions using terms such as “processing,” “computing,” “calculating,” “determining,” and “identifying” refer to the actions or processing of a computing device, such as one or more computers or similar electronic computing devices, which manipulate or convert data represented as physical electronic or magnetic quantities within the memory, registers, or other information storage, transmission, or display devices of a computing platform.

[0230] The one or more systems discussed herein are not limited to any particular hardware architecture or configuration. Computing devices may include any suitable component arrangement that provides results conditioned on one or more inputs. Suitable computing devices include multi-purpose microprocessor-based computer systems that access stored software that programs or configures the computing system from a general-purpose computing device to a dedicated computing device that implements one or more embodiments of this subject matter. The teachings contained herein can be implemented in the software used for programming or configuring the computing device using any suitable programming, scripting, or other type of language or combination of languages.

[0231] Implementations of the methods disclosed herein can be performed within the operation of such a computing device. The order of the blocks presented in the example above can be varied—for example, the blocks can be reordered, combined, and / or divided into sub-blocks. Some blocks or processes can be executed in parallel.

[0232] Unless otherwise specified, the conditional language used in this document, such as “can,” “may,” “might,” “may,” “for example,” etc., or otherwise understood in the context, is generally intended to express that some examples include certain features, elements, and / or steps while other examples do not. Therefore, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that one or more examples require features, elements, and / or steps in any way, or that one or more examples must include logic for determining, with or without author input or prompting, whether such features, elements, and / or steps are included in any particular example or to be performed in any particular example.

[0233] The terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” etc., are synonyms and are used inclusively in an open-ended manner, not excluding additional elements, features, actions, operations, etc. Furthermore, the term “or” is used in its inclusive sense (rather than its exclusive sense), such that, for example, when used to connect lists of elements, the term “or” means one, some, or all of the elements in the list. The use of “suitable for” or “configured to” herein implies open-ended and inclusive language, which does not exclude means suitable for or configured to perform additional tasks or steps. Additionally, the use of “based on” implies open-ended and inclusive language because a process, step, calculation, or other action “based on” one or more of the stated conditions or values ​​may actually be based on additional conditions or values ​​other than those stated. Similarly, the use of “at least partially based on” implies open-ended and inclusive language because a process, step, calculation, or other action “at least partially based on” one or more of the stated conditions or values ​​may actually be based on additional conditions or values ​​other than those stated. The headings, lists, and numbers included herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be limiting.

[0234] The various features and processes described above can be used independently of each other or combined in various ways. All possible combinations and sub-combinations are intended to fall within the scope of this disclosure. Additionally, in some embodiments, certain method or process blocks may be omitted. The methods and processes described herein are not limited to any particular sequence, and the blocks or states associated with them may be executed in other suitable sequences. For example, the described blocks or states may be executed in a sequence other than that specifically disclosed, or multiple blocks or states may be combined in a single block or state. Example blocks or states may be executed serially, in parallel, or in some other manner. Blocks or states may be added to or removed from the disclosed examples. Similarly, the example systems and components described herein may be configured differently from those described. For example, elements may be added, removed, or rearranged compared to the disclosed examples.

Claims

1. A computer mouse, comprising: case; A pressable key plate, the pressable key plate including a bottom surface; A tactile element, the tactile element being coupled to the bottom surface of the pressable keypad, The tactile element is configured to operate in multiple operating modes, including a first mode and a second mode. In the first operating mode, the tactile element generates a tactile output that causes the tactile element and the connected keypad to be statically and unidirectionally deflected and held at a deflection distance. In the second operating mode, the tactile element generates a second tactile output that causes the tactile element to deflect bidirectionally relative to the deflection distance, thereby generating vibration feedback superimposed on the unidirectional deflection at the deflection distance. The deflection distance corresponds to the control signal.

2. The computer mouse according to claim 1, wherein, The tactile element is a piezoelectric device, and the control signal is a voltage applied to the tactile element.

3. The computer mouse according to claim 1, wherein, In the first operating mode, the tactile output deflects the keypad unidirectionally to the deflection distance within 10ms, thereby generating a single-pulse feedback effect on the keypad.

4. The computer mouse according to claim 1, wherein, The vibration feedback is controlled independently relative to the deflection distance.

5. The computer mouse according to claim 1, wherein, The vibration feedback is controlled by a control signal that defines the positive deflection distance and the negative deflection distance of the vibration feedback.

6. The computer mouse according to claim 1, wherein, The vibration feedback is controlled by a control signal that defines the force of the vibration feedback.

7. The computer mouse according to claim 1, wherein, The vibration feedback is controlled by a control signal that defines the time for the vibration feedback to fully deflect.

8. The computer mouse according to claim 1, wherein, In the second operating mode, tactile feedback for pressing and holding is generated, characterized in that: In response to receiving a pressing force on the top surface of the key plate, The tactile element deflects unidirectionally and remains at the deflection distance; When the tactile element deflects at the deflection distance and simultaneously detects the pressing pressure on the top surface of the keypad, the tactile element generates the vibration feedback; and After the pressing pressure is removed from the top surface of the keypad, the tactile element returns to the first operating mode.

9. The computer mouse according to claim 1, wherein, The keypad is the left or right main button of the computer mouse.

10. A method for operating a computer mouse, the method comprising: The haptic element is controlled by one or more processors to operate in one of a plurality of operating modes, including a first operating mode and a second operating mode, wherein the haptic element is connected to the keypad of the computer mouse. When the tactile element is in the first operating mode, it generates a tactile output that causes the tactile element and the connected keypad to be statically and unidirectionally deflected and held at the deflection distance; and When the tactile element is in the second operating mode, a second tactile output is generated that causes the tactile element to deflect bidirectionally relative to the deflection distance, thereby generating a vibration feedback superimposed on the unidirectional deflection at the deflection distance.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The one or more processors control the haptic element by means of a control signal that defines the deflection distance of the unidirectional deflection of the haptic element.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The one or more processors control the tactile element via control signals, wherein the vibration feedback is controlled by the control signals that define the positive deflection distance and the negative deflection distance of the vibration feedback.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The one or more processors control the tactile element via a control signal, wherein the tactile element is a piezoelectric device, and the control signal is a voltage applied to the tactile element.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein, In the first operating mode, the tactile output deflects the keypad unidirectionally to the deflection distance within 10ms, thereby generating a single-pulse feedback effect on the keypad.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The vibration feedback is controlled independently relative to the deflection distance.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein, The one or more processors control the tactile element by defining control signals that define the positive and negative deflection distances of the vibration feedback.

17. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The one or more processors control the tactile element by defining a control signal that defines the force of the vibration feedback.

18. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The vibration feedback is controlled by a control signal that defines the time for the vibration feedback to fully deflect.

19. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The second operating mode generates tactile feedback for pressing and holding, characterized in that: In response to receiving a pressing force on the top surface of the key plate, The tactile element deflects unidirectionally and remains at the deflection distance; When the tactile element deflects at the deflection distance and simultaneously detects the pressing pressure on the top surface of the keypad, the tactile element generates vibration feedback; and After the pressing pressure is removed from the top surface of the keypad, the tactile element returns to the first operating mode.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein, The keypad is the left or right main button of a computer mouse.

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