Capacitive Touch Haptic Feedback via Vibration Unit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical imaging devices face challenges in providing effective feedback to users, particularly with capacitive controls that lack haptic feedback, leading to potential misunderstandings and increased risk of incorrect operations, which can impact safety and ergonomics.
Innovation Solution
A device with a vibration unit that includes Eccentric Rotating Mass Motors and Linear Resonant Actuators to provide tactile feedback by stimulating vibrations in the touch area relative to the edge area, allowing for haptic feedback even in capacitive controls without movable parts, combined with visual and acoustic feedback to enhance user interaction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If capacitive control elements are used to maintain hygiene and prevent gaps, then surface smoothness and hygiene are improved, but haptic feedback capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies mechanical vibration by incorporating a vibration unit that generates tactile feedback through vibrational movements. This allows the capacitive control element to provide haptic feedback despite having a smooth, gapless surface that prevents bacterial accumulation. The vibration unit activates during touch operations to give users tactile confirmation, resolving the contradiction between hygiene requirements and haptic feedback capability.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If capacitive control elements with smooth surfaces are used, then hygiene and surface integrity are improved, but tactile feedback capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The vibration unit generates controlled vibrations that travel through the capacitive control element to the user's finger. This mechanical vibration provides tactile feedback without requiring physical movement or gaps in the surface, maintaining both hygiene and surface integrity while enabling tactile confirmation of user input.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical movable control elements with a capacitive touch interface combined with a vibration unit. Instead of relying on physical movement to provide feedback, the system uses electrical capacitance detection combined with vibrational feedback, substituting the mechanical system while maintaining or improving hygiene properties.
3Reliability
If multiple sensory feedback channels are provided, then feedback reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges visual, acoustic, and haptic feedback channels into a single integrated control unit. The vibration unit is incorporated within the same housing as the display and acoustic components, allowing all feedback types to be delivered through one unified interface rather than separate distributed systems, thus reducing overall device complexity while maintaining multi-channel feedback reliability.
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 solution provides clear and reliable tactile feedback during touch operations, reducing the likelihood of misinterpretation and improving user interaction safety and efficiency by ensuring successful input registration, thus enhancing overall operating accuracy and safety.
Implementation Method 1
the vibration unit is configured to excite a vibration of the touch region relative to the edge region during the touch of the touch region, in particular to excite such a vibration that the vibration comprises tactile feedback with respect to the touch of the touch region
Implementation Method 2
A device with a vibration unit that includes Eccentric Rotating Mass Motors and Linear Resonant Actuators to provide tactile feedback by stimulating vibrations
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a device for operating a medical imaging device, - wherein the device comprises a control unit, a connection unit and a vibration unit, - wherein the connection unit comprises a control-side area, an edge area and a flexible area, wherein the control-side area is flexibly mounted relative to the edge area by means of the flexible area, - wherein the control unit comprises a touch area, wherein the touch area is fixed relative to the control-side area, - wherein the control unit is configured to generate a touch signal based on a touch of the touch area, - wherein the vibration unit is configured to excite a vibration of the touch area relative to the edge area during the touch of the touch area.