Patent ID: 11861115
Assignee: APPLE INC.
Field: Computer technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. A touch and force sensitive device, comprising:
a surface;
a deformable material disposed between the surface and a rigid material, such that an applied force by a contact on the surface by an object causes a deformation of the deformable material;
a plurality of transducers coupled to the surface and the deformable material configured to transmit ultrasonic waves to the surface and to the deformable material and to receive reflected ultrasonic waves from the surface and the deformable material, wherein the plurality of transducers include a first transducer coupled to the surface and the deformable material and configured to transmit a subset of the ultrasonic waves to the surface and to the deformable material and to receive a subset of the reflected ultrasonic waves from the surface and the deformable material; and
processing circuitry coupled to the plurality of transducers and configured to:
stimulate the plurality of transducers to transmit the ultrasonic waves;
receive the reflected ultrasonic waves;
determine a location of the contact on the surface based on one or more of the reflected ultrasonic waves propagating in the surface and received at one or more of the plurality of transducers; and
determine the applied force by the contact on the surface based on one or more reflected ultrasonic waves propagating in the deformable material and received at one or more of the plurality of transducers.