Integrated pressure-sensing feedback unit, module and electronic product

Abstract

The present invention relates to an integrated pressure-sensing feedback unit, a module and an electronic product. The integrated pressure-sensing feedback unit comprises a pressure-sensing assembly, a feedback assembly, a mounting framework and a control circuit board, wherein the pressure-sensing assembly is assembled on the mounting framework and senses pressure information when the mounting framework is pressed; the control circuit board is fixed on the mounting framework and is electrically connected to both the pressure-sensing assembly and the feedback assembly; and the projections of the mounting framework and the feedback assembly in a thickness direction at least partially overlap, and / or, the projections of at least two of the pressure-sensing assembly, the control circuit board and the feedback assembly in the thickness direction at least partially overlap. By means of the arrangements in the present invention, the pressure-sensing assembly and the feedback assembly are integrated into a whole, and a connected circuit is realized by means of the control circuit board, so that unitization and standardization are realized, and popularization can thus be facilitated; in addition, by means of the arrangement design of structures in the thickness direction, excellent lightness and thinness can also be achieved.

Description

Integrated pressure-sensitive feedback units, modules, and electronic products Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of pressure sensing technology, and in particular to an integrated pressure sensing feedback unit, module and electronic product. Background Art

[0002] There are numerous solutions available on the market for force touch and feedback technology. For example, force touch solutions primarily utilize displacement sensors and resistive pressure sensors, while vibration feedback solutions primarily utilize linear resonator (LRA) motors, piezoelectric ceramic motors, and electromagnet vibration units. Different products and manufacturers can pair these solutions together to create a customized force touch feedback solution based on their specific positioning and needs.

[0003] With the continuous development of current technology and the continuous iteration of products, a type of force touch feedback technology has been applied to electronic products, and is constantly pursuing thinness and lightness, such as the touchpad components of laptops / Pads. Of course, there are many other application scenarios that also require the above-mentioned thin and light force touch feedback technology.

[0004] From the above introduction to the pressure touch feedback solutions currently on the market, it can be seen that the current mainstream is still customized solution design, most of which are not suitable for use in thin and light application scenarios. For example, linear motors and piezoelectric ceramic motors both require a large thickness and space. Even the few solutions that can be applied to such scenarios still need to be designed according to the specific conditions of the installation environment.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the shortcomings of the existing technology, the present invention proposes an integrated pressure-sensitive feedback unit, module, and electronic product. This design integrates the pressure-sensitive module, feedback module, and other functional modules into a fixed installation unit. This unit can be installed directly as a standardized product, eliminating the need for customized designs tailored to each installation environment. This adaptability to a wide range of application scenarios facilitates widespread adoption. Furthermore, through structural design and spatial arrangement, it achieves a superior lightweight and thin design, making it more suitable for current market demands.

[0007] The first technical solution adopted by the present invention is that the integrated pressure-sensitive feedback unit includes a pressure-sensitive component and a feedback component, and further includes:

[0008] A mounting frame, wherein the pressure sensing component is mounted on the mounting frame and senses pressure information when the mounting frame is under pressure;

[0009] A control circuit board is fixed to the mounting frame and is electrically connected to the pressure sensing component and the feedback component respectively;

[0010] The projections of the mounting frame and the feedback component in the thickness direction at least partially overlap; and / or the projections of at least two of the pressure sensing component, the control circuit board and the feedback component in the thickness direction at least partially overlap.

[0011] Preferably, the mounting frame includes a mounting area and a connection area, the mounting areas are arranged in pairs, and the connection area is located between a pair of the mounting areas;

[0012] The pressure sensing component is assembled in the installation area, and the feedback component is connected to the control circuit board in the connection area.

[0013] Preferably, the installation area forms a deformation space, and the sensing unit is assembled in the deformation space.

[0014] Preferably, the installation area is arranged perpendicular to the connection area, or,

[0015] The installation area and the connection area are arranged at an angle, or,

[0016] The installation area is arranged along an arrangement direction of the connection areas.

[0017] Preferably, the control circuit board and the mounting frame have projections that overlap in the horizontal direction.

[0018] Preferably, the control circuit board is a flexible circuit board FPC.

[0019] Preferably, it further includes a drive interface and / or a communication interface, and the drive interface / communication interface is electrically connected to the control circuit board.

[0020] Preferably, the drive interface / communication interface and the feedback component are respectively connected to two sides of the control circuit board.

[0021] Preferably, the feedback component includes a coil and a vibrator, the coil is wound on the mounting frame, the vibrator is located within the magnetic field of the coil and generates vibration in response to the magnetic field.

[0022] Preferably, one side of the mounting frame extends horizontally outward to form a mounting tooth, and the coil is wound on the mounting tooth and is electrically connected to the control circuit board.

[0023] Preferably, the vibrating member is made of a permanent magnet, an electromagnet or a soft magnetic material.

[0024] The present invention further provides a pressure-sensitive feedback module, which includes at least one pair of integrated pressure-sensitive feedback units as described above.

[0025] Preferably, each pair of the integrated pressure-sensing feedback units is arranged symmetrically.

[0026] The present invention further provides an electronic product, including a touch panel, which also includes the integrated pressure-sensing feedback unit as described above. The touch panel is connected to the mounting frame and inputs the pressure received to the mounting frame.

[0027] Preferably, an accelerometer is also mounted and fixed on the touch panel.

[0028] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0029] 1. Integrate the pressure sensing component, feedback component, drive and communication interface into one unit, and realize the path through the control circuit board, so as to achieve unitization and standardization, which is conducive to promotion;

[0030] 2. The arrangement design of each structure in the thickness direction can also achieve an excellent light and thin effect;

[0031] 3. The use of soft magnetic materials for vibration parts can not only reduce manufacturing costs, but also improve vibration intensity;

[0032] 4. The mounting frame not only provides a mounting base for other structures, but also undertakes the function of transmitting pressure and realizing deformation, so that the pressure-sensing components installed on it can sensitively sense the force information. On the one hand, it simplifies the overall structure of the product, improves the sensing efficiency and sensitivity, and on the other hand, it also makes the product lighter and thinner.

[0033] 5. An accelerometer is installed to work collaboratively and can be automatically calibrated regularly. For example, when enabled, the accelerometer is used to collect the natural vibration frequency of the touch panel, and then the driving waveform parameters of the feedback component are adjusted according to the frequency to achieve more accurate and good feedback effect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the embodiments and accompanying drawings, in which:

[0035] FIG1 is a structural diagram of an integrated pressure-sensitive feedback unit in one embodiment of the present application;

[0036] FIG2 is a structural diagram of an integrated pressure-sensitive feedback unit in a second embodiment of the present application;

[0037] FIG3 is a structural diagram of an integrated pressure-sensitive feedback unit in a third embodiment of the present application;

[0038] FIG4 is a structural diagram of an integrated pressure-sensitive feedback unit in a fourth embodiment of the present application;

[0039] FIG5 is a structural diagram of a pressure-sensitive feedback module composed of a pair of integrated pressure-sensitive feedback units in FIG1 ;

[0040] FIG6 is a partial structural diagram of an electronic product including a pressure-sensing feedback module composed of a pair of integrated pressure-sensing feedback units in FIG1 ;

[0041] FIG7 is a partial structural diagram of an electronic product including a pressure-sensing feedback module composed of a pair of integrated pressure-sensing feedback units in FIG2 ;

[0042] FIG8 is a partial structural diagram of an electronic product including a pressure-sensitive feedback module composed of a pair of integrated pressure-sensitive feedback units in FIG3 ;

[0043] FIG. 9 is a partial structural diagram of an electronic product including a pressure-sensing feedback module composed of a pair of integrated pressure-sensing feedback units shown in FIG. 4 .

[0044] 10. Integrated pressure-sensitive feedback unit; 11. Pressure-sensitive component; 12. Feedback component; 121. Coil; 122. Vibrator; 13. Mounting frame; 131. Mounting area; 132. Connection area; 133. Elastic pad; 134. Mounting teeth; 14. Circuit board; 15. Drive interface / communication interface; 16. Mechanical mounting position;

[0045] 20. Pressure feedback module;

[0046] 30. Electronic products; 31. Touchpad;

[0047] 40. Accelerometer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention more apparent, embodiments of the present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar components or components having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended only to explain the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0049] The present invention discloses an integrated pressure-sensitive feedback unit, as shown in Figures 1-4 (numbers are missing in the figures), comprising a pressure-sensitive component 11 and a feedback component 12, and further comprising:

[0050] A mounting frame 13, wherein the pressure sensing component 11 is mounted on the mounting frame 13 and senses pressure information when the mounting frame 13 is compressed;

[0051] A control circuit board 14 is fixed to the mounting frame 13 and is electrically connected to the pressure sensing component 11 and the feedback component 12 respectively;

[0052] The projections of the mounting frame 13 and the feedback component 12 in the thickness direction at least partially overlap; and / or the projections of at least two of the pressure sensing component 11, the control circuit board 14 and the feedback component 12 in the thickness direction at least partially overlap.

[0053] In this embodiment, the mounting frame 13 serves as both the mounting base for the aforementioned multiple structures and as a pressure-bearing structure for external pressure. When subjected to force, it deforms and is detected by the sensing component. The signal emitted by the sensing component is then output to the control chip via the circuit board 14 through the drive interface / communication interface 15. The control chip processes the collected pressure-sensitive signals or signals from the touchpad and issues dynamic drive information, which is then transmitted to the feedback component 12 via the drive interface / communication structure 15. Finally, the feedback component 12 provides corresponding vibration feedback, completing a pressure-sensitive touch feedback process. The control chip, which is not shown in the figure, can be mounted on the touchpad, the mounting frame, or the circuit board.

[0054] Specifically, the mounting frame 13 includes a mounting area 131 and a connection area 132, the mounting areas 131 are arranged in pairs, and the connection area 132 is located between a pair of the mounting areas 131; the pressure sensing component 11 is assembled in the mounting area 131, and the feedback component 12 is connected to the control circuit board 14 in the connection area 132.

[0055] At the same time, the mounting area 131 forms a deformable space, and the sensing unit is assembled in this deformable space. In one embodiment, a pair of elastic pads 133 are bonded to the mounting frame 13 of the mounting area 131, forming the aforementioned deformable space between the pair of elastic pads 133. During actual installation, external pressure input structures such as buttons and the touchpad 31 are assembled on the elastic pads 133. When pressure is input, the mounting frame 13 of the mounting area 131 will deform, and the sensing component is attached to the mounting frame 13 at this location, thereby enabling timely detection of force information.

[0056] Although the installation areas 131 are arranged in pairs, in different embodiments, the sensing assembly can be installed in only one installation area 131, or a pair of pressure sensors in the sensing assembly can be installed separately and respectively installed in one installation area 131, or the sensing assembly can have multiple pairs of pressure sensors, and at least one pair of pressure sensors can be installed in each installation area 131.

[0057] Furthermore, the mounting areas 131 can be arranged in various ways. As shown in FIG1 , in one embodiment, the entire mounting frame 13 is arranged in an I-shape, with a pair of mounting areas 131 arranged at opposite ends of the connecting area 132 and perpendicular to the connecting area 132. In another embodiment, as shown in FIG4 , the pair of mounting areas 131 are still perpendicular to the connecting area 132, but are both located on the same side of the connecting area 132.

[0058] In another embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, a pair of installation areas 131 are arranged at an angle to the connection area 132. For example, the pair of installation areas 131 are both located on the same side of the connection area 132 and form an acute angle with the connection area 132. At this time, the pair of installation areas 131 are arranged symmetrically in the upper and lower directions. Of course, the pair of installation areas 131 can also be located on both sides of the connection area 132 respectively. At this time, although the two installation areas 131 also form an acute angle with the connection area 132, the pair of installation areas 131 are arranged symmetrically in the center as a whole.

[0059] In the above-mentioned embodiments, the connection area 132 is in the shape of an elongated strip as a whole. In another embodiment, as shown in FIG3 , a pair of installation areas 131 are arranged along the arrangement direction of the connection area 132 . At this time, a pair of installation areas 131 and the connection area 132 form an elongated strip as a whole.

[0060] In the above embodiments, since a deformation space is formed in each of the pair of mounting areas 131 by providing the elastic pads 133 , the mounting frame 13 also presents a cantilever beam force-bearing structure. Furthermore, the mounting frame 13 is made of soft magnetic material.

[0061] In one embodiment, the horizontal projection of the control circuit board 14 overlaps with the mounting frame 13, meaning the entire control circuit board 14 is attached to the mounting frame 13. When the mounting frame 13 is in an I-shape, the control circuit board 14 also has an I-shape. The portion located in the mounting area 131 is electrically connected to the sensor assembly, and the portion located in the connection area 132 is electrically connected to the feedback assembly 12. Furthermore, the control circuit board 14 is a flexible printed circuit (FPC), which is not only easy to install but also lightweight and thin.

[0062] Preferably, the integrated pressure-sensing feedback unit 10 also integrates the driving interface / communication interface 15 into one body. Of course, the driving interface and the communication interface can also be made into one interface, and the interface is electrically connected to the control circuit board 14.

[0063] In order to arrange the device more reasonably and improve space utilization, in this embodiment, the drive interface / communication interface 15 is connected to one side of the connection area 132 of the mounting frame 13, and the feedback component 12 is connected to the other side of the connection area 132, so that the structural distribution of the entire integrated pressure-sensitive feedback unit 10 is more symmetrical and reasonable.

[0064] The sensing component includes one or a pair or multiple pressure sensors, which are preferably pressure-sensitive films. The feedback component 12 includes a coil 121 and a vibrator 122. The coil 121 is wound on the mounting frame 13. The vibrator 122 is located within the range of action of the magnetic field of the coil 121 and generates vibrations in response to the action of the magnetic field. Specifically, one side of the mounting frame 13 extends horizontally outward to form a mounting tooth 134. The coil 121 is wound on the mounting tooth 134 and is electrically connected to the control circuit board 14. The vibrator 122 can be assembled onto the touch panel 31 when in use. The vibrator 122 is made of a permanent magnet, an electromagnet, or a soft magnetic material.

[0065] Furthermore, in one embodiment, a mechanical mounting position 16 is specially provided on the mounting frame 13, and the mounting frame 13 can be directly fixedly mounted on another mounting base through the mechanical mounting position 16. In a preferred embodiment, the mechanical mounting position 16 is a threaded hole, which can be a threaded hole located in the middle of the mounting frame, or a pair of threaded holes located at both ends of the mounting frame, or four threaded holes distributed at the four corners of the mounting frame, or multiple threaded holes in other distribution methods. In another embodiment, the mechanical mounting position 16 can also be other methods or structures that can achieve fixed installation, such as a clip-on structure that cooperates with the mounting base, an interference fit structure, a magnetic structure, etc., which are not listed one by one.

[0066] In this embodiment, since the integrated pressure-sensitive feedback unit 10 also integrates the mechanical mounting position 16, it is more convenient to directly install the unitized, integrated, and standardized integrated pressure-sensitive feedback unit 10 on the terminal of the electronic product, which is convenient to install and has higher adaptability.

[0067] It should be noted that in the above-mentioned embodiments, the connection between structures, such as the connection between the sensor component and the mounting frame 13, and the connection between the mounting frame 13 and the control circuit, can be made by gluing, welding, plugging and other common connection methods.

[0068] This application also discloses a pressure-sensitive feedback module 20, as shown in FIG5 , which includes a pair of integrated pressure-sensitive feedback units 10 according to any of the aforementioned embodiments, with each pair of integrated pressure-sensitive feedback units 10 being symmetrically arranged. FIG5 only illustrates an example structure when the mounting frame 13 is in an I-shape; the mounting frame 13 may alternatively have any of the aforementioned structures.

[0069] Finally, the present application also discloses an electronic product 30, including a touch panel 31 and the integrated pressure feedback unit 10 described above, wherein the touch panel 31 is connected to the mounting frame 13 and inputs the pressure received to the mounting frame 13. As shown in Figures 6-9, different mounting frames 13 are used, which correspond to different integration methods.

[0070] In this embodiment, the elastic pad 133 of the mounting frame 13 is fixedly connected to the touch panel 31 by gluing. At the same time, the touch panel 31 can transmit the input pressure to the mounting frame 13 through the elastic pad 133 and cause the mounting frame 13 to deform.

[0071] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG6 , an accelerometer 40 is also mounted on the touchpad 31. The accelerometer 40 can work in conjunction with the feedback unit to periodically perform automatic calibration. For example, when enabled, the accelerometer 40 is used to collect the natural vibration frequency of the touchpad 31. The drive waveform parameters of the feedback component 12 are then adjusted based on this frequency, so that the waveform and the natural vibration frequency of the touchpad 31 are within a set mapping range, thereby achieving more accurate and good feedback. This can effectively overcome the shortcomings of insufficient consistency in mass-produced products and the problem of vibration frequency changes caused by long-term structural aging, thereby achieving self-calibration.

[0072] In actual use, the FPC is glued and fixed to the mounting frame 13. The sensor component is also glued and fixed to the mounting area 131 of the mounting frame 13 and electrically connected to the FPC. The coil 121 is wound around the mounting teeth 134 of the mounting frame 13 and electrically connected to the FPC. The integrated pressure-sensing feedback unit 10 is then assembled. The elastic pad 133 in the mounting area 131 is then glued and fixed to the touchpad 31. At the same time, the vibrator 122 is also connected and fixed to the touchpad 31 and aligned with the coil 121. The drive and communication interface communicates with the drive unit. Finally, the mounting frame 13 of the integrated pressure-sensing feedback unit 10 is clipped, bolted, or glued to the mounting structure of the electronic product 30 to complete the installation.

[0073] In this specification, the use of terms such as "Embodiment 1," "this embodiment," and "in one embodiment" indicates that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in conjunction with that embodiment or example are included in the invention or at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example; furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be appropriately combined in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0074] In the description of this specification, the terms "connect," "install," "fix," "dispose," and "have" are to be understood in a broad sense. For example, "connect" can mean a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application based on specific circumstances.

[0075] In the description of this specification, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "comprises", "comprising" or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or apparatus comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article or apparatus. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a ..." does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article or apparatus comprising the element.

[0076] The above description of the embodiments is to facilitate ordinary technicians in this technical field to understand and apply the technology of this case. People familiar with the technology in this field can obviously make various modifications to these examples easily and apply the general principles described here to other embodiments without having to go through creative work. Therefore, this case is not limited to the above embodiments. Modifications to the following situations should all be within the scope of protection of this case: ① A new technical solution implemented based on the technical solution of the present invention and combined with existing common knowledge, the technical effect produced by the new technical solution does not exceed the technical effect of the present invention; ② The equivalent replacement of some features of the technical solution of the present invention with the known technology, the technical effect produced is the same as the technical effect of the present invention; ③ The technical solution of the present invention is expandable, and the substantive content of the expanded technical solution does not exceed the technical solution of the present invention; ④ The equivalent transformation made by the content of the description and drawings of the present invention is directly or indirectly applied to other related technical fields.

Claims

1. The integrated pressure sensing feedback unit includes a pressure sensing component and a feedback component, characterized in that, it further includes: a mounting skeleton, the pressure sensing component is assembled on the mounting skeleton and senses the pressure information when the mounting skeleton is pressed; a control circuit board, the control circuit board is fixed on the mounting skeleton and is electrically connected to the pressure sensing component and the feedback component respectively; wherein, the projections of the mounting skeleton and the feedback component in the thickness direction at least partially overlap; and / or, the projections of at least two of the pressure sensing component, the control circuit board and the feedback component in the thickness direction at least partially overlap.

2. The integrated pressure sensing feedback unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, the mounting skeleton includes a mounting area and a connecting area, the mounting areas are arranged in pairs, and the connecting area is located between a pair of the mounting areas; the pressure sensing component is assembled in the mounting area, and the feedback component is connected to the control circuit board in the connecting area.

3. The integrated pressure sensing feedback unit according to claim 2, characterized in that, the mounting area forms a deformation space, and the sensing unit is assembled in the deformation space.

4. The integrated pressure sensing feedback unit according to claim 3, characterized in that, the mounting area and the connecting area are arranged vertically, or, the mounting area and the connecting area are arranged at an angle, or, the mounting area is arranged along the arrangement direction of the connecting area.

5. The integrated pressure sensing feedback unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, the projection of the control circuit board and the mounting skeleton in the horizontal direction coincides.

6. The integrated pressure sensing feedback unit according to claim 5, characterized in that, the control circuit board is a flexible printed circuit board FPC.

7. The integrated pressure sensing feedback unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, it further includes a driving interface and / or a communication interface, and the driving interface / communication interface is electrically connected to the control circuit board.

8. The integrated pressure sensing feedback unit according to claim 7, characterized in that, the driving interface / communication interface and the feedback component are respectively connected to both sides of the control circuit board.

9. The integrated pressure sensing feedback unit according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, the feedback component includes a coil and a vibrating member, the coil is wound around the mounting skeleton, and the vibrating member is within the magnetic field action range of the coil and vibrates in response to the magnetic field action.

10. The integrated pressure sensing feedback unit according to claim 9, characterized in that, one side of the mounting skeleton extends horizontally outwards to form mounting teeth, and the coil is wound around the mounting teeth and is electrically connected to the control circuit board.

11. The integrated pressure sensing feedback unit according to claim 9, characterized in that, the vibrating member is made of a permanent magnet or an electromagnet or a soft magnetic material.

12. A pressure sensing feedback module, characterized in that, it includes at least a pair of integrated pressure sensing feedback units according to any one of claims 1-11.

13. The pressure sensing feedback module according to claim 12, characterized in that, Each pair of the integrated pressure-sensitive feedback units is symmetrically arranged.

14. An electronic product, including a touchpad, characterized in that it further includes the integrated pressure-sensitive feedback unit according to any one of claims 1-11, and the touchpad is connected to the installation skeleton and inputs the received pressure to the installation skeleton.

15. The electronic product according to claim 14, characterized in that an accelerometer is further fixedly installed on the touchpad.

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