Long-range transmission touch sensor and application thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of touch sensing, in particular to a long-range transmission touch sensor and application thereof. The long-range transmission touch sensor comprises a passive sensing patch, a signal balance transmission line, a matching adjusting capacitor and a signal processing circuit, the passive induction patch is of a sandwich structure and comprises a conductive material located on the inner layer and insulating materials located on the surface layers of the two sides. The signal balance transmission line is of a double-row lead structure, the first end of the first lead extends into the passive induction patch and is electrically connected with the conductive material, and the first end of the second lead is isolated from the conductive material; the second end of the first lead is provided with a matching adjusting capacitor and then is electrically connected with the signal processing circuit, and the second end of the second lead is provided with a matching adjusting capacitor and then is electrically connected with the signal processing circuit. According to the long-range transmission touch sensor, the problem that a touch sensing type sensor in the prior art is difficult to maintain can be solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of touch sensing technology, and particularly to a touch sensor with long-range transmission and its application. Background Art

[0002] The foot-sensing operation function of intelligent toilets is widely adopted, and non-contact operations of intelligent toilets such as flushing the lid, turning the seat ring, and flushing the toilet are realized through the foot-sensing function.

[0003] In recent years, non-opening (ceramic penetration) sensors have been widely used because they do not affect the appearance of ceramics. Common non-opening sensors include microwave radar type and capacitive touch sensing type. However, the above-mentioned sensors on the market generally have the following problems: 1. The sensor integrates components for signal detection, processing, power supply, etc., forming a relatively complex PCBA structure. Once a failure occurs, the entire sensor needs to be replaced, making it difficult to repair and bringing high after-sales service costs. In addition, for capacitive touch sensing sensors, their basic principle is that the touch chip scans the touch electrodes at a certain period to detect the change value of the touch electrodes' induction of the surrounding environment. When a human body (finger, foot, etc.) approaches the touch electrodes, the induction value of the touch electrodes to the surrounding environment changes. When the change amount is greater than a certain set value, the touch chip outputs a control signal, and the intelligent device performs corresponding function operations. Based on the above principle, since the change value generated by the touch electrodes during the touch process is extremely weak and is very susceptible to interference, the touch electrodes and touch chips of current touch sensors are required to be arranged in close proximity. This makes the touch electrodes, related circuits, and touch chips of the touch sensor all need to be installed at a relatively forward position on the inner wall of the intelligent toilet ceramic, which also indirectly leads to the need to remove the intelligent toilet first when the touch sensor fails, and then it is possible to reach the touch sensor deep inside the ceramic inner wall. Disassembling and assembling the intelligent toilet further increases the after-sales service cost. 2. Existing sensors are encapsulated in a hard-structured shell, and it is difficult for the sensing surface to fit with the ceramic inner wall with a certain curvature, resulting in difficulties in bonding and fitting, and there is a risk of falling off and failure after long-term use. The current solution is to make the sensing area smaller to reduce the bonding difficulty by reducing the curvature, but at the same time, it also brings the problem of reduced sensing sensitivity.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to make improvements in view of the problems existing in the prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a touch sensor with long-range transmission and its application, aiming to solve the problem of difficult repair of capacitive touch sensing sensors in the prior art.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a touch sensor for long-range transmission, which includes a passive induction patch, a signal balanced transmission line, a matching adjustment capacitor, and a signal processing circuit; the passive induction patch is a sandwich structure, which includes a conductive material located in the inner layer and insulating materials on both surface layers; the signal balanced transmission line is a double-row lead structure, the first end of the first lead extends into the passive induction patch and is electrically connected to the conductive material, and the first end of the second lead is isolated from the conductive material; after a matching adjustment capacitor is provided at the second end of the first lead, it is electrically connected to the signal processing circuit, and after a matching adjustment capacitor is provided at the second end of the second lead, it is electrically connected to the signal processing circuit; the signal processing circuit is provided with an MCU chip with a touch detection function, a power supply wiring, and a control signal output wiring.

[0007] Further, the signal balanced transmission line is separated into at least two segments, and the segments are connected by lead docking terminals, so that the signal processing circuit can be disconnected from the passive induction patch for easy installation.

[0008] Further, the passive induction patch is a flexible structure, which includes a flexible conductive material located in the inner layer and flexible insulating materials on both surface layers.

[0009] Further, the flexible conductive material is a flexible PCB or a conductive metal sheet, and its area is 2 cm 2 -100 cm 2 , and the sheet resistance is less than 100 Ω; the flexible insulating material is a rubber material or a polymer material, and its insulation voltage satisfies greater than 1500 V.

[0010] Further, the passive induction patch is compounded by a high-frequency heating method or an integral injection molding method.

[0011] Further, the distributed capacitance value between the two leads < 100 PF, and the matching adjustment capacitor makes the error of the distributed capacitance value to the ground of the two signal input ends of the MCU chip between 0% - 20%.

[0012] Further, the MCU chip is a touch chip that meets the requirements of 10V dynamic testing.

[0013] The present invention also provides an application of the above touch sensor for long-range transmission, which is applied to intelligent bathroom, liquid level detection, or stroke control of an actuator, and a touch switch.

[0014] Further, attach the passive induction patch to the induction area of the product, and the distance between the signal processing circuit and the passive induction patch is greater than 20 cm; adjust the signal balanced transmission line so that the distributed capacitance value between the two leads is < 100 PF; measure the distributed capacitance values of the two input terminals of the MCU chip to the ground, and by increasing or decreasing the compensation capacitance, make the error of the distributed capacitance values of the two input terminals to the ground between 0% and 20%; detect the signals transmitted by the signal balanced transmission line respectively, suppress the common-mode transmission interference through the internal operation of the MCU chip, distinguish the touch operation signal and output the control level signal to provide a signal source for the touch induction operation.

[0015] Further, this touch sensor is applied to a smart toilet; attach the passive induction patch to the front end of the inner wall of the smart toilet ceramic, set the signal processing circuit at the rear end of the inner wall of the smart toilet ceramic or expose it outside the toilet ceramic, arrange the signal balanced transmission line along the inner wall of the smart toilet ceramic, and set the induction distance of this touch sensor within the range of 0 - 30 mm from the outer wall of the smart toilet ceramic.

[0016] For the touch sensor with long-range transmission provided by the present invention, compared with the prior art, its induction component uses a passive induction patch, and there is no power supply or numerous components on the passive induction patch, which greatly simplifies the structure of the induction component for collecting operation signals. During future use, the probability of the passive induction patch malfunctioning and needing to be replaced is extremely low. Therefore, even if the passive induction patch is attached to a deep position of the product, there is no need to worry about future maintenance issues; at the same time, it separates the signal processing circuit from the passive induction patch. The signal sensed by the passive induction patch is transmitted to the signal processing circuit through the signal balanced transmission line. The signal balanced transmission line simultaneously detects the signal of the passive induction patch and the surrounding stray interference signals, and transmits them to the signal processing circuit with the same impedance, and then performs differential comparison processing to eliminate interference to achieve induction. Compared with the traditional wiring structure, the present invention realizes the long-distance transmission of induction signals, enabling the signal processing circuit that is prone to failure to be set at a place far from the passive induction patch and easily accessible to the staff; when the signal processing circuit that is more prone to failure has problems, the staff can very conveniently replace or repair the signal processing circuit.

[0017] When applying this touch sensor with long-range transmission to a smart toilet, the passive induction patch is set at the front end of the inner wall of the smart toilet ceramic to facilitate sensing the user's feet, while the signal processing circuit can be set at the rear end of the smart toilet ceramic or exposed outside the toilet ceramic. Once the signal processing circuit fails, the maintenance personnel can access the signal processing circuit and replace or repair it without removing the smart toilet, greatly reducing the operation difficulty and thus reducing the maintenance cost of the touch sensor of the smart toilet. Description of the Drawings

[0018] Figure 1 are the schematic structural diagrams of the long-range transmission touch sensor of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 are the schematic structural diagrams when the long-range transmission touch sensor of the present invention is installed on a product;

[0020] Figure 3 are the schematic structural diagrams when the long-range transmission touch sensor of the present invention is installed on a smart toilet.

[0021] Description of the reference numerals:

[0022] 1. Passive induction patch; 11. Conductive material; 12. Insulating material;

[0023] 2. Signal balanced transmission line; 21. First lead; 22. Second lead; 23. Lead docking terminal;

[0024] 3. Matching adjustment capacitor;

[0025] 4. Signal processing circuit; 41. MCU chip; 42. Power supply wiring; 43. Control signal output wiring;

[0026] 51. Product; 52. Smart toilet; 53. Induction area. Detailed implementation manners

[0027] The following provides a detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0028] In this embodiment, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, when terms such as "arranged on", "connected", and "linked" appear, these terms should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be directly connected or connected through one or more intermediate media. For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in this embodiment can be understood according to specific situations. For the direction words in this embodiment, they are used to better explain the characteristics and the relationships between the characteristics. It should be understood that when the placement direction of this embodiment changes, the directions of the characteristics and the relationships between the characteristics also change accordingly. Therefore, the direction words do not constitute an absolute limiting effect on the characteristics and the relationships between the characteristics in space, but only play a relative limiting role.

[0029] The present invention provides a long-range transmission touch sensor, as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown in the figure, it includes a passive induction patch 1, a signal balanced transmission line 2, a matching adjustment capacitor 3, and a signal processing circuit 4; the passive induction patch 1 has a sandwich structure, which includes a conductive material 11 located in the inner layer and insulating materials 12 on both surface layers; the signal balanced transmission line 2 has a double-row lead structure, the first end of the first lead 21 extends into the passive induction patch 1 and is electrically connected to the conductive material 11, and the first end of the second lead 22 is isolated from the conductive material 11. Specifically, the first end of the second lead 22 can be wrapped in the insulating material 12 but spaced a certain distance from the conductive material 11, or can be arranged outside the passive induction patch 1; after a matching adjustment capacitor 3 is arranged at the second end of the first lead 21, it is electrically connected to the signal processing circuit 4, and after a matching adjustment capacitor 3 is arranged at the second end of the second lead 22, it is electrically connected to the signal processing circuit 4; the signal processing circuit 4 is provided with an MCU chip 41 with a touch detection function, a power supply connection 42, and a control signal output connection 43.

[0030] Based on the above structural settings, compared with the prior art, the induction component of this long-range transmission touch sensor uses a passive induction patch 1. There is no power supply or numerous components on the passive induction patch 1, which greatly simplifies the structure of the induction component for collecting operation signals. During future use, the probability of the passive induction patch 1 failing and needing to be replaced is extremely low. Therefore, even if the passive induction patch 1 is pasted at a deep position of the product 51, there is no need to worry about its future maintenance problems. At the same time, it separates the signal processing circuit 4 from the passive induction patch 1. The signal sensed by the passive induction patch 1 is transmitted to the signal processing circuit 4 through the signal balanced transmission line 2. The signal balanced transmission line 2 simultaneously detects the signal of the passive induction patch 1 and the surrounding stray interference signals, and transmits them to the signal processing circuit 4 with the same impedance, and then performs differential comparison processing to eliminate interference to achieve induction. Compared with the traditional wiring structure, the present invention realizes the long-distance transmission of induction signals, enabling the signal processing circuit 4 that is prone to failure to be set at a place far from the passive induction patch 1 and easily accessible to the staff; when the signal processing circuit 4 that is more prone to failure has problems, the staff can very conveniently replace or repair the signal processing circuit 4.

[0031] In this embodiment, the signal balanced transmission line 2 is separated into at least two segments, and the segments are connected by lead docking terminals 23, so that the signal processing circuit 4 can be disconnected from the passive induction patch 1. Through the above settings, the signal processing circuit 4 can be detached from the entire touch sensor by means of the lead docking terminal 23, which is convenient for maintenance or replacement. After maintenance or replacement, the signal processing circuit 4 can be quickly installed back into the touch sensor by means of the lead docking terminal 23.

[0032] In this embodiment, the passive induction patch 1 is a flexible structure, which includes a flexible conductive material 11 located in the inner layer and flexible insulating materials 12 on both surface layers. In actual use, the passive induction patch 1 preferably adopts a flexible structure, so that the passive induction patch 1 can closely fit the curved surface of the inner wall of the toilet ceramic, avoiding its detachment and improving the accuracy of induction. Of course, in some usage scenarios, when the adhesion surface of the passive induction patch 1 is a plane, the passive induction patch 1 can also be set as a rigid structure, and the solution of setting it as a rigid structure also falls within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0033] In this embodiment, the flexible conductive material 11 is a flexible PCB or a conductive metal sheet. When a conductive metal sheet is selected, copper foil is preferably used, and its area is 2 cm 2 -100 cm 2 , and the sheet resistance is less than 100 Ω; the flexible insulating material 12 is a rubber material or a polymer material. When an insulating rubber material is selected, silicone rubber, ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber, etc. are preferably used. When a polymer material is selected, PE, PP, PVC, etc. are preferably used. By setting the thickness of the flexible insulating material 12, the insulation voltage is made to be greater than 1500 V.

[0034] In this embodiment, the passive induction patch 1 is compounded by high-frequency heating or integral injection molding.

[0035] In this embodiment, the distributed capacitance value between two leads < 100 PF. The coupling capacitance effect between two leads can cause signal crosstalk between lines and reduce the signal-to-noise ratio. Therefore, the coupling capacitance between two leads needs to be controlled; further preferably, the distributed capacitance value between two leads is controlled within < 50 PF. The matching adjustment capacitor 3 makes the error of the distributed capacitance values of the two signal input ends of the MCU chip 41 to the ground between 0% - 20%. By means of the matching adjustment capacitor 3, the transmission impedance of the signal balance line 2 is adjusted to be close, so that the signal transmission attenuation degrees of the signals detected and transmitted to the signal processing circuit 4 are consistent, improving the resolution of signal processing. Further preferably, the error of the distributed capacitance values of the two input ends of the MCU chip 41 to the ground < 5%.

[0036] In this embodiment, the MCU chip 41 is a touch control chip that meets the 10V dynamic test requirements. The conducted immunity of radio-frequency field induction (CS value: Immunity to Conducted Disturbances, Induced by Radio-Frequency Fields) is an important indicator to measure the anti-interference ability of the touch detection circuit. For the smart toilet usage scenarios including strong interference sources such as motion servo mechanisms (flap, turn, spray rod telescoping), high-power heating, and pulsed solenoid valves, meeting the CS value is an important choice to ensure reliable and error-free triggering of touch control.

[0037] The present invention also provides an application of the above-mentioned touch sensor for long-range transmission, which is applied to intelligent bathroom appliances, liquid level detection or stroke control of actuators, and touch switches. Of course, it can also be applied to other similar scenarios.

[0038] In this embodiment, the passive induction patch 1 is attached to the induction area 53 of the product 51, and the distance between the signal processing circuit 4 and the passive induction patch 1 is greater than 20 cm; the signal balance transmission line 2 is adjusted so that the distributed capacitance value between the two leads < 100 pF; the distributed capacitance values of the two input terminals of the MCU chip 41 to the ground are measured, and by increasing or decreasing the compensation capacitance, the error of the distributed capacitance values of the two input terminals to the ground is between 0% and 20%; the signals transmitted by the signal balance transmission line 2 are respectively detected, and the common-mode transmission interference is suppressed by the internal operation of the MCU chip 41, the touch operation signal is distinguished and the control level signal is output to provide a signal source for the touch sensing operation. At the same time, the signal-to-noise ratio after the common-mode suppression process is measured to evaluate the anti-interference performance of the touch sensor, optimize the signal integrity and ensure the operation reliability.

[0039] In this embodiment, as Figure 3 shown, the touch sensor is applied to the intelligent toilet 52; the passive induction patch 1 is attached to the front end of the ceramic inner wall of the intelligent toilet 52, and the signal processing circuit 4 is arranged at the rear end of the ceramic inner wall of the intelligent toilet 52 or exposed outside the toilet ceramic, aiming to facilitate the maintenance personnel to access the signal processing circuit 4. Of course, the lead docking terminal 23 can be extended to the rear end of the ceramic of the intelligent toilet 52 or exposed outside the toilet ceramic, and the signal processing circuit 4 is placed elsewhere as long as it is convenient for the staff to detach the signal processing circuit 4. The signal balance transmission line 2 is arranged along the ceramic inner wall of the intelligent toilet 52. Preferably, wire clips are arranged on the ceramic inner wall of the toilet, and the signal balance wire is fixed by means of the wire clips, which is convenient to fix and has a low implementation cost. The induction distance of the touch sensor is set within the range of 0-30 mm from the outer wall of the ceramic of the intelligent toilet 52.

[0040] Based on the above settings, when the touch sensor for long-range transmission is applied to the intelligent toilet 52, once the signal processing circuit 4 fails, the maintenance personnel can access the signal processing circuit 4 and replace or repair the signal processing circuit 4 without removing the intelligent toilet 52, greatly reducing the operation difficulty, and further reducing the maintenance cost of the touch sensor of the intelligent toilet 52. After the touch sensor for long-range transmission of the present invention is applied as Figure 3 shown, the implementation results are as follows:

[0041] 1. Touch induction recognition on the outer wall of the toilet ceramic: The foot (barefoot) can be sensed when it is 10 mm-30 mm away from the outer wall.

[0042] 2. Long-range transmission distance of the foot feeling signal: 1.2 m;

[0043] 3. Signal-to-noise ratio: >5;

[0044] 4. False trigger rate: 0 (720 hours);

[0045] The use effect is better.

[0046] Without conflict, the above embodiments and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0047] In summary, this long-range transmission touch sensor can solve the problem of difficult maintenance of the touch induction sensor in the prior art.

[0048] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the preferred technical solutions of the present invention, rather than limiting the protection scope of the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that the technical solutions of the present invention can be modified or equivalently replaced without departing from the essence and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A touch sensor for long-range transmission, characterized in that: It includes a passive induction patch (1), a signal balanced transmission line (2), a matching adjustment capacitor (3), and a signal processing circuit (4); The passive induction patch (1) has a sandwich structure, which includes a conductive material (11) located in the inner layer and insulating materials (12) on both outer surfaces; The signal balanced transmission line (2) has a double-row lead structure. The first end of the first lead (21) extends into the passive induction patch (1) and is electrically connected to the conductive material (11), and the first end of the second lead (22) is isolated from the conductive material (11); after a matching adjustment capacitor (3) is provided at the second end of the first lead (21), it is electrically connected to the signal processing circuit (4), and after a matching adjustment capacitor (3) is provided at the second end of the second lead (22), it is electrically connected to the signal processing circuit (4); The signal processing circuit (4) is provided with an MCU chip (41) with a touch detection function, a power supply connection wire (42), and a control signal output connection wire (43).

2. The touch sensor for long-range transmission according to claim 1, wherein: The signal balanced transmission line (2) is separated into at least two segments, and the segments are connected by lead docking terminals (23) so that the signal processing circuit (4) can be disconnected from the passive induction patch (1).

3. The touch sensor for long-range transmission according to claim 1, wherein: The passive induction patch (1) has a flexible structure, which includes a flexible conductive material (11) located in the inner layer and flexible insulating materials (12) on both outer surfaces.

4. The touch sensor for long-range transmission according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible conductive material (11) is a flexible PCB or a conductive metal sheet, and its area is 2 cm 2 - 100 cm 2 , and the sheet resistance is less than 100 Ω; the flexible insulating material (12) is a rubber material or a polymer material, and it satisfies that the insulation voltage is greater than 1500 V.

5. The touch sensor for long-range transmission according to claim 4, wherein: The passive induction patch (1) is compounded by high-frequency heating or integral injection molding.

6. The touch sensor for long-range transmission according to claim 1, wherein: The distributed capacitance value between the two leads < 100PF, and the matching adjustment capacitor (3) makes the error of the distributed capacitance values of the two signal input ends of the MCU chip (41) to the ground between 0% - 20%.

7. The touch sensor for long-range transmission according to claim 1, wherein: The MCU chip (41) is a touch chip that meets the requirements of 10V dynamic testing.

8. An application of a touch sensor for long-range transmission according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that: It is applied to intelligent sanitary wares, liquid level detection, or stroke control of actuators, and touch switches.

9. The application of the touch sensor for long-range transmission according to claim 8, characterized in that: Attach the passive induction patch (1) to the induction area (53) of the product (51), and the distance between the signal processing circuit (4) and the passive induction patch (1) is greater than 20cm; Adjust the signal balanced transmission line (2) so that the distributed capacitance value between the two leads < 100PF; Measure the distributed capacitance values of the two input ends of the MCU chip (41) to the ground, and by increasing or decreasing the compensation capacitor, make the error of the distributed capacitance values of the two input ends to the ground between 0% - 20%; Detect the signals transmitted by the signal balanced transmission line (2) respectively, suppress the common-mode transmission interference through the internal operation of the MCU chip (41), distinguish the touch operation signals and output control level signals to provide a signal source for the touch induction operation.

10. The application of the touch sensor for long-range transmission according to claim 9, characterized in that: This touch sensor is applied to an intelligent toilet (52); Attach the passive induction patch (1) to the front end of the ceramic inner wall of the intelligent toilet (52), set the signal processing circuit (4) at the rear end of the ceramic inner wall of the intelligent toilet (52) or expose it outside the toilet ceramic, arrange the signal balanced transmission line (2) to fit the ceramic inner wall of the intelligent toilet (52), and set the induction distance of this touch sensor within the range of 0 - 30mm from the ceramic outer wall of the intelligent toilet (52).

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