Many electronic and input devices include a touch-sensitive surface for receiving user input. Devices such as smart telephones, tablet computing devices, laptop computers, track pads, wearable communication and health devices, navigation devices, and kiosks can include a touch-sensitive surface. The touch-sensitive surface may detect and relay the location of one or more user touches, which may be interpreted by the electronic device as a command or a gesture.
In some electronic devices, a force sensor may also be used to detect and measure the force of a touch that is applied to a surface. In some cases, a force sensor and touch sensor may provide an enhanced user input for controlling an application or function of the electronic device as compared to using a touch sensor alone.
However, one challenge with incorporating a force sensing device into an electronic device is determining and compensating for the amount of noise that may be present in the electronic device and while still providing adequate response times for each type of input. For example, the display of the electronic device or other components in the electronic device can introduce noise into the force signals produced by the force sensing device. The noise can cause errors in the force measurements which may affect both the input that is detected by the force sensing device and the output that is provided in response to the received force input. However, removal or otherwise minimizing the amount of noise present in the system may cause an undesired amount of latency in response time of the electronic device.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds