Acoustic Wave Touch Panel Micro Reflectors Spurious Wave Attenuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Acoustic wave type touch panels face issues with spurious waves propagating towards the touch region, causing signal noise and coordinate skipping phenomena, as existing solutions only attenuate spurious waves outside the reflective arrays and not within them.
Innovation Solution
The touch panel incorporates an array of micro reflectors between the inclined lines of the reflective arrays, which are shorter than the inclined lines and arranged to attenuate spurious waves generated by reflection, preventing them from reaching the touch region.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If vibration absorbing materials are provided on the substrate to attenuate spurious waves, then spurious waves are attenuated, but the structure becomes more complex and manufacturing becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The reflective array is segmented into multiple inclined lines, and micro reflectors are introduced between these lines to specifically target and attenuate spurious waves. This segmentation allows the system to maintain the overall reflective function while adding localized wave attenuation capabilities without requiring complete structural redesign.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of uniformly distributing vibration absorbing materials across the entire substrate, the patent applies micro reflectors locally between the inclined lines of the reflective array. This localized approach concentrates the wave attenuation function where spurious waves are generated, improving effectiveness while minimizing overall structural complexity.
2Ease of operation
If reflective arrays are provided to direct acoustic waves, then acoustic wave propagation is controlled, but spurious waves are generated and cause noise
Solution Approach 1:
Micro reflectors are introduced as intermediary elements between the inclined lines of the reflective array. These micro reflectors act as mediators that selectively interact with spurious waves, attenuating them before they can propagate to the touch region, while allowing the main acoustic waves to pass through the reflective array functionality intact.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful spurious waves generated by the reflective array into a beneficial control mechanism. By strategically placing micro reflectors between the inclined lines, the system uses the spurious waves' reflection characteristics to their advantage, directing them away from the touch region where they would cause noise, thereby transforming a harmful effect into a useful wave management feature.
3Device complexity
If spurious waves are not attenuated within reflective arrays, then the structure remains simple, but coordinate skipping occurs due to signal noise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a new dimensional element by placing micro reflectors between the inclined lines of the reflective array. This additional spatial dimension of wave management allows the system to control spurious wave propagation paths without altering the fundamental reflective array structure, thereby maintaining simplicity while improving measurement precision.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration effectively reduces spurious waves, ensuring accurate detection of contact positions and preventing coordinate skipping by directly removing spurious waves that would otherwise interfere with signal detection.
Implementation Method 1
These acoustic wave type touch panels utilize transducers (converters), including piezoelectric elements provided on a substrate formed of glass or the like
Implementation Method 2
Ultrasonic vibrations, which are generated by transmitting side transducers as bulk waves, are converted to surface acoustic waves by mode converting elements, and are caused to propagate along the surface of the substrate
Implementation Method 3
The transducers and reflective arrays are generally provided such that the surface acoustic waves propagate in the X axis direction and the Y axis direction of the substrate such that they intersect with each other
Implementation Method 4
an array of micro reflectors, which are shorter than the inclined lines, attenuate spurious waves generated by reflection of the acoustic waves by the reflective arrays
Data Source
AI summary
An acoustic wave type touch panel is equipped with: a substrate that objects contact; reflective arrays having a great number of inclined lines provided on the substrate; acoustic wave generating sections provided on the substrate; and detecting sections provided on the substrate. An array of micro reflectors, which are shorter than the inclined lines, for attenuating spurious waves generated by reflection of the acoustic waves by the reflective arrays, is provided in the reflective array regions between the inclined lines at least one end thereof.