Auto-baseline Force Sensing for Touch Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Touch devices struggle to accurately determine the amount of force applied by users, which limits their ability to provide advanced functions and enhance user interaction with graphical user interfaces and application programs.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating force sensing technology, such as ultrasonic or capacitive sensors, into touch devices to detect and differentiate between varying levels of force applied by users, with processors determining a baseline value for each user to distinguish between lighter and more forceful touches.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If force sensing technology is incorporated into touch devices, then the ability to detect and differentiate force levels is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines force sensing capabilities with existing touch device structures by integrating sensors into the display assembly or housing. Multiple sensing functions (touch detection and force measurement) are merged into a unified system, allowing force detection without adding separate complex subsystems.
Solution Approach 2:
The force sensors are designed to serve multiple functions: detecting touch presence, measuring force magnitude, and potentially determining touch duration. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate sensors for each measurement type, thereby limiting complexity increase while improving measurement precision.
2Adaptability or versatility
If baseline values are determined and stored for each user, then force touch differentiation capability is improved, but data storage requirements and processing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by establishing baseline force values for each user during initial usage or calibration periods. These baselines are stored and used to normalize subsequent force measurements, enabling user-specific adaptation without requiring complex real-time analysis of every touch event.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback mechanisms where force measurement data is continuously collected and used to refine and update baseline values for each user. This adaptive feedback loop improves user-specific detection accuracy while keeping processing requirements manageable through iterative learning rather than complex algorithms.
Data Source
AI summary
Determining an applied force of touch on a touch device, in response to a time-varying signal generated by a force of touch sensor. Inferring a measure of force of touch in response to that signal, by determining a peak value of a time derivative of that signal, determining a fraction of that peak value, determining a force of touch corresponding to that peak value, and setting that force as a baseline value for a particular user. Responding to force of touch by the user by comparing against that baseline value. Distinguishing between users having differing baseline values.