Capacitive Touch Substrate with Conductive Pads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing touch screen technologies require human physical contact to detect electronic cards or devices, which is inconvenient for users.
Innovation Solution
A device with a non-conductive substrate and conductive pads that can trigger touch events on a touch screen without human contact, using conductive lines to distort the electric field and generate measurable changes in capacitance, allowing for proximity-based interaction and identification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If capacitive sensing is used to detect changes when a user's finger touches the screen, then touch input can be detected, but human physical contact is required which reduces convenience
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary device (electronic card or device with conductive pads) that mediates between the user and the touch screen. Instead of requiring direct finger contact with the screen, the intermediary object with conductive pads is placed on the screen surface, allowing capacitive coupling and touch event generation without human skin contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical contact system (finger touching screen) with an electrical field-based system. Conductive pads on the intermediary device create capacitive coupling with the touch screen's sensing electrodes, generating touch events through electrical field interaction rather than physical mechanical contact.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conductive pads are placed on the substrate to enable proximity-based detection, then contactless interaction is enabled, but the substrate material must be non-conductive which limits material choices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by having specific regions of the substrate (areas with conductive pads) possess different electrical properties than the bulk substrate. The substrate is non-conductive overall, but localized conductive pads are embedded or deposited on specific regions to create capacitive coupling points, allowing the rest of the substrate to maintain its mechanical and electrical insulation properties.
3Loss of information
If multiple conductive pads are used to form geometric patterns for identification, then object identification capability is enhanced, but the complexity of the device structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the conductive pads serve multiple functions: they act as electrical contacts for capacitive coupling, form geometric patterns for object identification, and can be arranged in various configurations to encode different information. The same structural elements (conductive pads) perform both electrical and informational functions, reducing the need for separate components.
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
Enables interaction with touch screens without human touch, allowing for the identification of objects and conveyance of information through geometric patterns, enhancing user convenience and compatibility with existing touchscreen devices.
Implementation Method 1
the conductive pad triggers a touch event on the touch surface such that a coordinate of the conductive pad relative to the touch surface is determined
Implementation Method 2
When the external surface of the non-conductive substrate is placed in proximity to a touch surface, the conductive pad triggers a touch event
Data Source
AI summary
One example embodiment is a device which includes a non-conductive substrate and at least one touchpoint. The substrate has an external surface. The touchpoint includes a conductive pad disposed on the external surface, and a conductive line that has a first end and a second end. The first end makes electrical contact with the conductive pad and the second end extends spatially away from the first end to a pre-determined distance. When the external surface of the non-conductive substrate is placed in proximity to a touch surface, the conductive pad triggers a touch event on the touch surface such that a coordinate of the conductive pad relative to the touch surface is determined.