Capacitive Keyboard Overlay on 7-Segment Displays for Gesture Input

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Solution Overview

Problem

Industrial network devices often rely on cost-effective but limited 7-segment displays with mechanical keyboards, which restrict user interaction and information display due to space constraints, leading to reduced intuitiveness and increased complexity in accessing functions.

Innovation Solution

An interactive touch display assembly featuring a capacitive keyboard overlaid on a 7-segment display, allowing gestures such as touches, swipes, and rotations to interact with the device, eliminating the need for predefined key functions and expanding the interactive surface for both input and output, thereby enhancing user interaction and information display.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a mechanical keyboard is used with a 7-segment display, then cost is reduced, but user interaction capability and information display are limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser interaction capabilityVSAvoidinterface complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the display surface and keyboard surface into a single integrated capacitive touch display assembly. The capacitive sensing elements are overlaid on the 7-segment display, allowing the same surface to serve both as information display and as input interface, thereby eliminating the need for separate mechanical keyboard components and reducing overall device complexity while enhancing user interaction capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The capacitive touch display surface serves multiple functions simultaneously: it displays information through the 7-segment display and accepts various user inputs including touches, swipes, and rotational gestures. This multi-functional surface replaces the traditional separate display and keyboard components, providing versatile interaction capabilities without increasing device complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Ease of operation

If a mechanical keyboard is used, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but space constraints increase and intuitiveness decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveintuitivenessVSAvoidspace constraints

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces gesture-based interaction dimensions (swipe directions, rotational movements) beyond simple key presses. These multi-dimensional gestures provide more intuitive and expressive user interaction capabilities within the same physical space, eliminating the need for additional keyboard components that would consume valuable space

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Adaptability or versatility

If a capacitive keyboard is overlaid on the 7-segment display, then user interaction possibilities increase, but manufacturing cost may increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser interaction possibilitiesVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces mechanical keyboard components with a capacitive sensing system that uses electrical field detection instead of mechanical switches. This substitution eliminates mechanical parts, reduces assembly complexity, and enables versatile gesture-based interaction while maintaining cost-effectiveness through simplified manufacturing processes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

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 solution increases user interaction possibilities, simplifies function access, and standardizes user interfaces while maintaining minimal costs, offering a more intuitive and efficient interaction experience compared to traditional static systems.

Implementation Method 1

The first capacitive keyboard is overlaid on at least a portion of the 7-segment display and includes a capacitive sensing layer having capacitive sensing elements. States of the capacitive sensing elements changes based on gestures provided by a user of the interactive touch display assembly.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCapacitance: Capacitance

Data Source

PatentUS11256412B2Interactive touch display assembly including a display stack with a multi-layer capacitive keyboard overlaid on a 7-segment display

Publication Date: 2022.02.22 COPELAND CONTROLS SRL

AI summary

An interactive touch display assembly is provided and includes a circuit board and a user interface. The circuit board includes a first control module. The user interface includes a 7-segment display and a first capacitive keyboard. The 7-segment display is connected to the circuit board. The first capacitive keyboard is overlaid on at least a portion of the 7-segment display and includes a capacitive sensing layer having capacitive sensing elements. States of the capacitive sensing elements changes based on gestures provided by a user of the interactive touch display assembly. The first control module is configured to control operation of the 7-segment display based on detected changes in the states of the capacitive sensing elements.