{
  "patent_number": "US 10013058",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "How Apple Embeds Haptic Actuators Directly Into Device Layers",
  "original_title": "Touch-based user interface with haptic feedback",
  "summary": "A design for touchscreens that embeds vibration-producing actuators directly into a nonconductive material layer, paired with force sensors to detect how hard a user presses.",
  "what_it_does": "This patent describes a way to build a touch interface where haptic actuators—the parts that make your phone vibrate or click—are physically embedded inside a nonconductive material layer. By placing a printed circuit board (PCB) between this haptic layer and force sensors, the device can effectively separate the vibration mechanism from the pressure-sensing mechanism. This allows the device to provide tactile feedback while simultaneously measuring the intensity of a user's touch. For example, a screen could feel like a physical button by vibrating when pressed, while the sensors determine if the user performed a light tap or a deep press.",
  "what_it_does_not_cover": [
    "Does not cover haptic systems that use external vibration motors attached to the device chassis rather than embedded in the interface layer.",
    "Does not cover software-based haptic simulations that rely solely on screen animations without physical actuators.",
    "Does not cover touch interfaces that lack force-sensing capabilities.",
    "Does not cover systems where the actuators are not embedded within a nonconductive material layer."
  ],
  "filed": "2010-09-21",
  "granted": "2018-07-03",
  "expires": null,
  "status": "active",
  "holder": "Apple Inc",
  "holder_url": "https://patentbrief.org/company/apple-inc",
  "inventors": [
    {
      "name": "Michael Pilliod",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/michael-pilliod"
    },
    {
      "name": "Paul G. Puskarich",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/paul-g-puskarich"
    }
  ],
  "times_cited": 18,
  "tags": [
    "consumer_electronics",
    "mechanical",
    "semiconductors"
  ],
  "abstract": "One embodiment of a touch-based user interface may include a haptic feedback layer with one or more actuators configured to supply a haptic feedback. The one or more actuators may be embedded in a nonconductive material. The touch-based user interface may further include a printed circuit board layer underlying the haptic feedback layer. The printed circuit board layer may include one or more conductive traces configured to supply a voltage to the one or more actuators.",
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10013058/face-id",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10013058/face-id/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US10013058",
  "relatedPatents": []
}