Capacitive Touch Electrode Layout for Wider Slide-Angle Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional capacitive touch interfaces in wearable audio devices have limited slide angle detection due to linear electrode borders, which can hinder effective gesture detection, especially in wearable devices that are not uniformly aligned with the user's body or head position.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a capacitive touch interface with electrode borders that have an arcuate or piecewise non-linear profile, allowing for a larger maximum slide angle between electrodes compared to conventional interfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If linear electrode borders are used in capacitive touch interface, then manufacturing is simple, but slide angle detection is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature by replacing linear electrode borders with arcuate (curved) borders. This curvature allows the electrode borders to follow the natural contour of the user's finger during sliding gestures, enabling more accurate detection of gesture direction and angle. The curved geometry increases the effective detection area and improves the sensitivity to slide angle variations, directly resolving the limitation of linear borders in gesture detection effectiveness.
2Adaptability or versatility
If device is not uniformly aligned with user body or head position, then wearable audio device portability is improved, but gesture detection accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the electrode borders from linear to arcuate profiles. This parameter change allows the touch interface to maintain consistent gesture detection characteristics across different device orientations and positions. The curved borders create a more robust detection pattern that is less sensitive to rotational misalignment, enabling accurate gesture recognition even when the device is not uniformly aligned with the user's body or head position.
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 design enhances the detection of touch commands by increasing the maximum slide angle, thereby improving user experience and gesture recognition in wearable audio devices, even when the device is not directly visible or aligned with the user.
Implementation Method 1
a capacitive touch interface with a contact surface and a set of at least two electrodes underlying the contact surface for detecting a touch command
Data Source
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AI summary
Various aspects include wearable audio devices. In some particular implementations, a wearable audio device includes: an acoustic transducer having a sound-radiating surface for providing an audio output; a controller coupled with the acoustic transducer; a printed circuit board (PCB) coupled with the controller; and a capacitive touch interface coupled with the PCB, the capacitive touch interface having: a contact surface for receiving a touch command; and a set of at least two electrodes underlying the contact surface for detecting the touch command at the contact surface, where neighboring electrodes in the set share a border having an arcuate profile across the contact surface or a piecewise profile approximating a non-linear path across the contact surface.