Patent ID: 9024907
Filing Date: 2015-05-05
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. An input device comprising: a structural component providing electrical isolation between first and second substantially opposing sides; a plurality of sensor electrodes located on a first region of a circuit assembly adjacent the first side of the structural component, the plurality of sensor electrodes configured to capacitively sense positional information associated with user input in a sensing region; a capacitive electrode pair configured to capacitively sense a separation distance therebetween, the capacitive electrode pair including a first capacitive electrode located on the second side of the structural component, the first capacitive electrode being configured to capacitively couple to a second capacitive electrode that is separated from the first capacitive electrode by a gas and moveable relative to the first capacitive electrode, wherein one of the first capacitive electrode and the second capacitive electrode are disposed on a second region of the circuit assembly; and a biasing member operably coupled to the structural component such that a force associated with the user input causes displacement of the biasing member and a change in the separation distance without substantially deforming the structural component; wherein the positional information of the user input is sensed by the plurality of sensor electrodes at the same time as the separation distance of the user input is sensed by the capacitive electrode pair.