AI Touch Coordinate Detection Using Capacitive Image Processing

Solution Overview

Problem

Capacitive touchscreens face precision issues due to variations in finger or gesture usage, touch habits, device orientation, and environmental conditions like wet hands or rain, leading to errors in touch recognition and user experience degradation.

Innovation Solution

An electronic apparatus equipped with a processor that acquires images of capacitive information, applies noise filtering, and inputs them into an artificial intelligence model comprising convolutional and recurrent neural networks to determine touch coordinates based on touch state and type information, enhancing precision without additional sensors.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If additional sensors are equipped on capacitive touchscreens to improve touch recognition precision, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetouch recognition precisionVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses image processing to create a visual representation (copy) of the capacitive touch state. By capturing images of the capacitive information distribution and processing these images to identify touch coordinates, the system achieves precise touch recognition without adding physical sensors. The image serves as a copy that contains sufficient information about the touch state to determine coordinates accurately.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical/additional sensor approach with an information processing approach. Instead of adding physical sensors to detect touch, the system uses image processing algorithms to analyze capacitive information patterns and extract touch coordinates. This substitution of mechanical detection with computational analysis reduces device complexity while maintaining or improving measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Measurement precision

If additional sensors are equipped on capacitive touchscreens to improve touch recognition precision, then measurement precision is improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetouch recognition precisionVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses image processing to create a visual representation (copy) of the capacitive touch state. By capturing images of the capacitive information distribution and processing these images to identify touch coordinates, the system achieves precise touch recognition without adding physical sensors. The image serves as a copy that contains sufficient information about the touch state to determine coordinates accurately.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical/additional sensor approach with an information processing approach. Instead of adding physical sensors to detect touch, the system uses image processing algorithms to analyze capacitive information patterns and extract touch coordinates. This substitution of mechanical detection with computational analysis reduces device complexity while maintaining or improving measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Measurement precision

If noise filtering is applied to capacitive images to improve touch coordinate accuracy, then measurement precision is improved, but processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetouch coordinate accuracyVSAvoidprocessing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies noise filtering as a preliminary action before the main image processing and touch coordinate detection. By pre-processing the capacitive images to remove noise and enhance relevant features, the subsequent analysis can proceed more efficiently. This preliminary cleaning of the data prepares it for faster and more accurate processing in later stages.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the image processing into distinct stages: noise filtering, feature extraction, and touch coordinate determination. By dividing the processing pipeline into separate functional blocks, each stage can be optimized independently. The noise filtering stage focuses solely on removing unwanted signals, while subsequent stages focus on extracting meaningful information, thereby improving overall processing efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS20240143110A1Electronic apparatus and method of acquiring touch coordinates thereof

Publication Date: 2024.05.02 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

An electronic apparatus comprises: a display including a capacitive type touch screen; a memory storing at least one instruction; and at least one processor configured to be connected with the display and the memory, and control the electronic apparatus, wherein the at least one processor is configured to, by executing the at least one instruction: acquire an image including capacitive information corresponding to a touch input, and input the acquired image into an artificial intelligence model configured to output a touch coordinate corresponding to the touch input based on touch state information and touch type information determined from the image.