Patent ID: 8730199

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: a control panel; and a sensing element forming a portion of the control panel and operable to sense a proximity of an object and a force applied by the object, the sensing element comprising: a cover layer; a first electrode layer comprising a first force sensor electrode; a second electrode layer comprising a second force sensor electrode, the first electrode layer positioned between the cover layer and the second electrode layer; a dielectric substrate layer, at least a portion of which is compressible and positioned between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer such that a distance between at least a portion of the first electrode layer and at least a portion of the second electrode layer changes based on a force applied by the object to the cover layer, wherein the first electrode layer or the second electrode layer further comprises a first touch sensor electrode disposed laterally with respect to the first force sensor electrode or the second force sensor electrode; and a touch screen controller operable to: measure a first capacitance of the second force sensor electrode to sense the force applied by the object; and measure a second capacitance of the first touch sensor electrode to sense the proximity of the object.