Adaptive Reflected-Light Touch Sensing for Stable Button Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing industrial touch sensors face reliability issues in high humidity and temperature environments due to tolerance stack-ups and product variations, leading to inconsistent button presses and data entry errors.
Innovation Solution
An adaptive reflected light touch sensor system that includes an emitter, a sensor to measure light amplitude, and a processor board to calculate a moving average and assert threshold, allowing for independent configuration and consistent button press detection across multiple sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If standard calibration routines are used with fixed distance and intensity standards, then the calibration process is simple, but tolerance stack-ups and product variations introduce errors in button press detection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic threshold adjustment where the assert threshold is not fixed but adapts based on measured light amplitude variations. The system calculates a moving average of light amplitude and dynamically sets the assert threshold as a percentage above this average, allowing the button press detection to adapt to product variations and tolerance stack-ups while maintaining consistent operation
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of the assert threshold from a fixed standard value to a dynamically calculated value based on measured light amplitude. By expressing the threshold as a percentage (e.g., 10% or 20%) above the moving average of light amplitude, the system accommodates manufacturing tolerances and environmental variations without requiring precise fixed calibration standards
2Reliability
If custom configurations are implemented for specific products to improve reliability, then button press consistency improves, but manufacturing cost increases and additional defects may be introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal solution that works across different products and environmental conditions through adaptive threshold calculation. The system uses a standardized approach where the assert threshold is dynamically determined as a percentage above the moving average of light amplitude, making it applicable to various products without custom configuration while maintaining consistent button press detection
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-adjustment by automatically calculating the moving average of light amplitude and setting the assert threshold based on measured conditions. This self-service capability eliminates the need for manual custom configuration for each product, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining reliability through automatic adaptation to product variations
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
The system enhances reliability and consistency in data input by adapting to environmental and product variations, reducing errors and delays in data entry.
Implementation Method 1
an emitter (110) that emits light in a direction that reflects the light (RLI, RLO), a sensor (120, 410) positioned to measure a light amplitude of the reflected light (RLI, RLO)
Data Source
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AI summary
An adaptive reflected light touch sensor (100, 400) is provided. The adaptive reflected light touch sensor (100, 400) includes an emitter (110) that emits light in a direction that reflects the light (RLI, RLO), a sensor (120, 410) positioned to measure a light amplitude of the reflected light (RLI, RLO), a processor board (150) coupled to the sensor (120, 410), the processor board (150) being configured to calculate a moving average of the measured light amplitude of the reflected light (RLI, RLO) and calculate an assert threshold.