Importance

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Abstract

A touchpad assembly and method for providing a signal to a computer indicative of the location and applied pressure of an object touching the touchpad assembly is provided. The touchpad assembly includes X and Y position and pressure sensitive semiconductor resistance sensor layers. The X and Y sensors have a pair of spaced apart X and Y conductive traces running across opposite ends such that a resistance RX connects the pair of X traces and a resistance RY connects the pair of Y traces. The X and Y sensors come into contact at a contact point when an object asserts a pressure on the touchpad. The contact point is connected to each trace by a variable pressure resistance RZ associated with the X and Y sensors and variable position resistances of the X and Y resistances. First and second pair of timing capacitors are connected to respective ones of the pairs of X and Y traces. A microprocessor controls and monitors charging time of the capacitors to determine the position and asserted pressure of the object touching the touchpad.

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First Claim